Mirror
by The Seelie Court Jester
Summary: Akiza Izinski is a young woman who has everything; friends, a loving family, as well as a world she could call her own. The bad guys were beaten down, and justice reigns, as it always shall. But when fragments of a broken past come crashing back together, what's to stop her world from eroding away? A sequel to "Fragments."
1. Dream

A young woman was walking across the gardens, both hands at her side, as she took in the loveless flowers surrounding her. Golden eyes surveyed the almost enchanting atmosphere, all the while endeavoring to decipher whatever trickery might be near. Silky, burgundy hair swept across her collarbone, though her dark sleeves contrasted to the light around her. A velvet coat cascaded down the woman's body, and a strict, narrow corset wrapped around her already tiny waist. The noise her red pumps made resounded throughout her ears, as she continued with her trek. Her lips pursed in confusion, though in the end, she allowed the scenery to take her mind off her unreadable, but somehow troubling thoughts.

Twisted thorns bent out of existence, and luscious petals kept on with their majesty. Tiny, shimmering dew coated the grass, though the leaves covered their nostalgic reflection. Morning skies soared above, giving the gardens a somewhat peaceful aura, however false it might've been. Red and white swirled around her, beckoning her to come and lay in those flowers, tempting her to fall into the fatigue reality had given her; traces of black and grey were yet to be seen, and even amorous shadows faded from that dream.

"Akiza?"

That young woman stopped. She turned, the confusion immediately fading from her face. A small smile tugged at her lips, as her sophisticated demeanor melted away. She recognized that voice. "Hey," she replied.

"What'd you think of the gardens?"

"It's nice, quiet," she said softly, as she looked down at her shoes. A slight blush came on her cheeks, and though she tried shaking it away, in the end the scarlet was still there. "I ah…I really like the roses. They're nice…"

"You know, they aren't all roses."

She blinked. Carefully, she looked up, at the shadows, at the flowers, at her own, dying silhouettes. Silence shrouded her, the same silence which brought her that evanescent peace, the same silence that came before her time and time again; peaceful, weary, restful, everything she could've possibly imagined in that deformed, yet comfortable silence. Everything and nothing was said simultaneously, as her own, helpless will hid away from even the slightest disturbance. Her innocence refused to fade, as she pondered on that statement.

Out from the corner of her eyes, she caught sight of a stray bulb blooming in the distance. When she squinted, she blushed harder, and turned sideways, mentally trying to remedy her mistake. She kept stammering, kept stuttering, endeavoring to, at the very least, apologize for her erroneous compliment.

But as she kept going with her hopeless correction, one by one, she caught sight of more of those strays. Roses bled out their red, and other flowers took their place, the petals quietly descending throughout the gardens. Graceless elegance turned to barren formalities, as each flower unraveled, producing an unfamiliar, almost bizarre looking plant, one Akiza had no knowledge of.

And yet, for some reason, her lips kept moving. She felt herself smile at the vague notion, and turned back. "Spider-lilies."

"Right. Did you know they were actually amaryllises?"

"What?"

"They are. Spider-lilies and amaryllises are apart of the same family. They may not look it, but it's true."

Akiza cocked her head, as she stared at the flowers. A distant expression came across her face, as she took in the statement, trying to recall the fact from her seemingly dark mind. "I didn't know that," she murmured quietly.

"Say, Akiza."

"What is it?"

"How do you feel? About amaryllises?"

* * *

Author's Note:

-Hello, I am the Seelie Court Jester and I do not own Yu-gi-oh 5Ds. This story is a sequel to "Fragments".


	2. Chapter 2

_Why?_

Red, velvet bangs fell toward her half-opened eyes. With one hand, she wiped whatever drool was on her face, while the other covered the embarrassing reveal. Slowly, she sat up, rubbing away the sleep stubbornly lodged in her gaze, as she turned her attention to the clock. It only took a second before she broke out into a small, gentle smile; only ten minutes left.

Subtly, she gazed around the classroom, her golden orbs surveying her fellow peers, her ears taking in whatever stray words that were floating aimlessly around the air. The teacher was busily chatting on the phone, talking about that free trip to Italy she'd won over the radio contest, while her classmates gathered around their regular cliques, trying to come up with something exciting to do over the weekend. Some were attempting to drag their friends into a few harmless pranks, some vibrantly bragging about the latest of their future plans, whether that be college, a job, studying abroad. Akiza simply shook her head, and returned to the empty space in front of her .

She tugged at her white sleeves, her red blazer comfortably nestled along her torso. She then pulled at her dark, navy blue skirt, as she, once again, stared up at the clock.

Eight minutes.

The dull sunlight felt warm against her hand. Already she could feel her fatigue lulling her back to sleep, though of course, Akiza ignored the temptation. She yawned slightly, as she pulled her attention to the front of the classroom, rereading the homework assignments for the weekend.

"Aki!"

She gasped frantically, and turned, only to find a girl, around the same age as she, standing right beside her desk. She couldn't help but smile then. "What're you doing? Class isn't even over yet."

"Teacher let us out early," Alexis whispered happily.

"So?"

"Jaden had to go somewhere."

Akiza blinked. "Really?"

"You know that really big news station, in downtown Neo Domino?"

"No.

"Well, he was invited over there for an interview," she continued, brushing aside Akiza's confused expression, as she plopped herself across from her. "Says if I went there with him, I might as well have just burned down the whole station."

"I'm…not surprised-"

"So, until that's over with, I'm with you!" she concluded finally, as she laid her head down.

Akiza couldn't help but chuckle at Alexis's antics. Dark blond hair cascaded down the girl's shoulders, and wide, warm caramel eyes kept taking in the colors around her, trying to memorize each and every shade that came her way. Her creamy, clear complexion matched her perfectly, considering all that time she spent outside. Out of everyone at the Academy, people considered her to be the school idol; Alexis knew everyone thought of her that way, so she composed herself as such. An intelligent, sophisticated young woman, on her way to the Pro-Leagues, or college, or wherever she decided to go; in the end no one suspected of her as anything more than that. It was only around Akiza did she reveal her real character; a bubbly girl who, though still smart, was incredibly naive, more so than any child Akiza had ever known.

The same could be said of Jaden Yuuki, though he was a bit less innocent. Chestnut hair, with dark, hazel eyes, and a look that seemed like he knew more than he was letting on; unlike Alexis, his gazes never really bothered with the light-filled colors around him. Though he wasn't as popular either, in a way, he did have his own small band of followers, students who fell for the same act that nearly half the school had with Alexis. In his portrayal, the character he followed was a carefree slacker who couldn't care less about worries and whatnot, instead spending his time on winning and anything non-school related. It wasn't at all the case, but Akiza never really called him out for it; it'd only serve to piss him off.

Akiza stared at the blonde for a brief moment, then laughed. "Wow."

"Hmm?"

"No fight?"

"Nope."

"Nothing?"

"No."

Akiza smirked, scrutinized Alexis. "Should I believe that?"

"…Sure."

Considering everything the couple put her through, it really was hard to believe. Ever since those two came to the Academy, never once did Akiza ever seem them apart. Then again, that might've just added to their charm; their characters did provide a good contrast to one another. It was that very contrast that attracted everyone to begin with, those stereotypes that, somehow, made the two stand out. Gradually, they did open up some of their shallow secrets to their audience, no matter how nosy they seemed, or even how rude. It was as if during that time, there was nothing that could be said about them, about any of them.

Still, Akiza knew that the two carried their own scandals. Even as they talked with the other students, they always seemed to hold back. Whenever one fell silent, the other always jumped in, covering for each other, like two alibis with nothing else to do. Sometimes, they'd tell half-truths about themselves, where they came from, what they'd been doing before they came here, while other times, the stories were completely falsified. For example, if Akiza asked Alexis right now which school she came from, she would probably look up, and just give her the name of some random asylum, as she had so many other people. To this day, Akiza didn't know where she stood with the couple; on some days, it looked like they were the best of friends, while on other days, something else took over them entirely, causing them to shun her for the rest of the week. The trend was so unpredictable Akiza stopped paying attention.

Alexis shyly peeked up from her arms, her shoulders tensing at whatever thoughts flew through her head. Finally, she grinned, and hid herself in her arms once more. Automatically, Akiza leaned over. "What?"

Alexis shook her head.

"Come on; what is it?"

She mumbled something.

"Alexis-"

The bell rang.

The blonde quickly stood up, and grabbed Akiza's arm. She dragged the witch out of her seat, and immediately made a beeline for the door, carefully avoiding the curious looks they'd gotten from the rest of their classmates. "I'll tell you later!" she teased gladly, as she almost shoved Akiza out the door.

She silently groaned. Usually, whenever she said something along those lines, either one or the other got into trouble with the Public Security Bureau. That, or they accidentally got yet another student expelled. Or they might've started a nuclear war. Or they might've invited terrorists into the school, or a mass serial killer. Or they've scheduled the school of destruction later today.

 _I'll tell you later_ could really mean anything.

Akiza paused for a moment, before sighing, and followed the stream of bodies through the hallways, with Alexis eagerly leading. Large, glass windows reflected the bright, warm light onto her skin, while the entire city gazed up at her, the modernity of its beauty stunningly appearing along the boundary of the horizon. The tall, steel buttresses soared over her as she walked down the stairs and into the main lobby. Portraits upon portraits clung onto the walls, as the students nonchalantly walk pass by, their lifeless eyes taking in the reality drifting lazily from them. Tall, plastic trees decorated either side of the hallways, along with wooden benches which housed whomever was fortunate to be, at the very least, weary from the long day. Flyers plastered their colorful phrases all over the walls, some about politics, others about social problems, and yet still, about the WRGPm and how to get tickets for free (probably just another scam). Rays danced around the students' silhouettes, the ground reverberating with footsteps as everyone leisurely made their way toward the large, glass doors. If Akiza turned around, it really would look like just another regular school, untouched by the destruction which befell Neo Domino so many years back.

It'd been so long since their confrontation with the Dark Signers. The city has improved a lot; surprisingly, there was no prejudice between Satellite and Neo Domino residents. In fact, the Satellite was actually in the process of being rejuvenated; poverty was rapidly diminishing, and unemployment was already starting to drop again. Not only that, but, much to her amazement, everyone seemed to just…get along. Even the psychic duelists from the Arcadia Movement found someplace to belong, some with their old homes, others in the service industry, and even still, others remaining duelists. In retrospect, it might've looked like Goodwin was the problem.

But that wasn't a very convincing lie, was it?

As soon as the two girls came outside, the calm warmth shrouded them. Light green leaves covered the vicinity, with tiny, white buds popping out from those fragile branches. Tiny, yellow petals fluttered in the air, as so many students joined their friends for yet another carefree moment. As their conversations dragged on, soon enough, Akiza found herself mindlessly shifting through her brain. Her parents were out of town, so she could just hang out at the garage with the guys. She didn't know if Alexis and Jaden had any plans yet, and there was Leo and Luna to look after too…

A few blocks later, Akiza let herself fall just a few steps behind Alexis. She clutched her bag tightly, as her gaze flickered toward the various bystanders standing around, waiting for friends, family, whomever they were ordered to meet. Some were on their cellphones, others on computers, and even still, strangers talking here and there, trying to find some common ground between them and the world around them. Where were they going? Who were they going with? Did they have jobs? Families? Friends?

"Hey."

Akiza snapped back to Alexis. "What is it?"

She stopped then. They just stood there, in the middle of that wide sidewalk, taking in the afternoon rays. A few moments later, Akiza leaned over. "Lexi?"

"Hungry," she murmured.

Akiza blinked. "Huh?"

"ARGH! The _idiot_ was supposed to call!" she whined, as she promptly dropped Akiza's hand and swiped out her phone. "Where is he?!"

"He…you said he had an interview, right?"

"Yeah, but he wasn't supposed to take this long!"

"Alexis, give him some time-"

But before she could finish, Alexis already had placed the phone on her cheek, her normally vibrant eyes darkening at the muffled conversation going on. The witch immediately fell silent, and looked away, as the argument began. It wasn't long before she sighed, as she slowly backed away from the blonde, all the while trying to come up with yet another excuse as to why she ditched the girl that afternoon.

She could just hang out at the garage with the guys.

Alexis and Jaden didn't have any plans yet.

And there was Leo and Luna to look after.

She left Alexis to her plight.

* * *

They shoved him against the steel bars, their mocking laughter bouncing off the walls of the cell. The cold, metallic bite slammed against his cheek, as his reddish brown hair falling before his olive green eyes. He bit down his tongue, as he forced down yet another painful grunt. Before long, the emaciated man turned back, his eyes wide with anger and frustration. The iron door shut, and he was left to his lonesome, with nothing but his humiliation and battered body to keep him company.

They took his deck.

 _They took his deck._

But as fast as the anger came, it just as quickly dissipated. He could only stare after the door, at where the two guards once were, the empty space staring him down with its arrogant smirk. Only a split second later, he had to turn away, the familiar, salty streams running down his face.

There was a cold, black, iron bed at towards the back of the cell. Rough rags housed a variety of lice and insects within the foldings, however barren it might've appeared. Only a flickering fluorescent light kept him warm, though even then, at times that simple luxury came away from him. The faint ticks of that same, unforeseen clock hung above his cell, with its rats constantly racing across the floors from him in perfect harmony. He kept twitching at that cruel pendulum, as he counted down until the end of his time in prison, though he knew that he may as well have stayed here for forever. He knew perfectly well that no one resided on the other side of that big, iron door, praying that he'd be released.

No one from the Arcadia Movement.

No one from Goodwin.

No one at all.

The man silently made his way to the edge of his bed, his wide eyes still lost in the mercilessness just moments ago. How he let things get so bad, he'd no idea. He kept reviewing his plans, over and over and over again, trying to determine where he messed up, where his own arrogance screwed him over.

No, it didn't seem right to blame it on that little mouse, or Yusei Fudo, or that model, or even the Dark Signers. In the end, who was left but he, to take the fall? He was the one suffering, not them, right? And in the eyes of society, he was the bad guy, wasn't he?

But that made no sense.

None whatsoever.

After that little thought, his mind came to a slow, grinding halt. Slowly, he began to close his eyes, his brain gradually drifting away from the painful stings of the struggles he managed to put up with. Gently, the nightmares ebbed away, replaced by a replica of sweet darkness. He held himself, his head dropping lower and lower into his arms, as he prepared for yet another dreamless night. Yes, that's right; he wanted something more, a world, a home, a dominion, a kingdom, to call his own. He wanted it. He was _entitled_ to it. He deserved everything in that world; he did, of course he did.

So why was he here?

Because he wasn't.

He was somewhere else. He was in his office, doing some paperwork, processing whatever connections he had so that the Movement could gain more influence. He was getting Akiza ready for the Fortune Cup, all the while calling in favors from top officials, blackmailing them into doing what he wanted. He could practically feel the words slipping out of his mouth, as he told one story after the other, interweaving statements until finally, only a tangled mess of past mistakes remained. He didn't dare touch whatever he'd said that day; if he did, it'd only make things more complicated.

Then, his most loyal followers would show up in front of him, Akiza included, and they'd begin making plans as to how to recruit more psychics, how to add to their publicity, how to retain members, making them think they'd no choice but to stay, emotionally speaking.

He believed it, even though the lie was so blatantly false.

It was the only illusion he could afford to cling to.

Then, there was a knock on the door.

"Sayer?"

Quietly, his eyes flickered open. Blurred shapes slowly came forth, and with it, a dark silhouette that brought in a new, kinder smell, one he hadn't known in a long time. Ah, it seems there was someone new here too; a guard perhaps? Female maybe, considering how light her footsteps sounded. A shame she had to work here.

"Sayer."

He could only mumble his gibberish. Afterwards, he sat there, and allowed the strangers to talk. He opened his mouth again, only to be cut off by a nearby guard.

Weird; they all sounded so mad for some reason. But that wasn't really his concern anyways; where was he, in the past? Right; he was saying something about the Fortune Cup…

"Get. _Up_."

He did so.

Slowly, his head turned to the direction of the voice. More complicated terms, more people, more places.

More more more more more.

What were they talking about anyways?

Was it about the food?

How about the art room?

More colors?

"Ms. Amrbosine would like to talk with you."

Amrbosine…

Who?

The guards shoved him away, the disgust clearly evident on their faces. It was all Sayer could do not to stumble, barely managing to catch himself. He remembered seeing a woman there, in front of him, but he couldn't make out anything else. It was just so dark.

But somehow, he gripped something. It was tiny, calloused, cold; was it ice? No, it was too dry for ice. A bar maybe? A bar with knuckles and nails and such?

"Let me talk with him," an odd woman said.

He cocked his head, and tried replying. However, for some reason, he couldn't.

Why?

More words.

More gibberish.

And at an instant, he found himself on the floor, unable to move, to cry out.

* * *

 _How could you?_

His eyes shot open.

The dull, afternoon light came through the glass, with tiny dust particles shimmering within his vicinity. The subtle, familiar scent of oil reached his nostrils, along with the unmistakable aroma of smoke; something burned again. Though the fatigue still entrenched his eyes, somehow, he managed to make himself sit up, the soft, velvet couch beneath him. He blinked away his weariness, all the while willing whatever dream's shadows away from his sight. At an instant, the dream slipped from his mind, and at once, Yusei regarded the room evenly.

Cool, blue eyes scrutinized the archaic corners supporting the walls, sheltering the plentiful cobwebs nestled comfortably. Large, rectangular windows gave way to the sunny skies above, with nary a stray cloud in sight. As he sat up, with strands of his raven colored bangs falling to his eyes, his gaze fell toward the big, white computers reflected right back at him, the screens showing the complex systems so eagerly awaiting his commands. He looked down then, and breathed a deep sigh, before standing up, his brown, combat boots quietly hitting the floor. Tan skin contrasted to whatever darkness was left in the room, providing a smooth transition between his own, dark outfit, with that of his surroundings.

He couldn't help but examine the three duel runners sitting in front of him patiently, all of which he knew need to be upgraded. The first was a red, with a half arch settled just behind the driver seat. The silver gleam of the engine underneath radiated with energy, a testament to the practice runs he'd forced upon it last night. A duel disk was sitting there, enthusiastically showing off any new additions, whether they be imagined or not. The second was black, with patterns of gold lodged onto the side. It had all the configurations of Yusei's duel runner, though in a way, the design was more pronounced; after all, it had a set of wings toward the bottom, something akin to a bird Yusei saw the other day. However, the last duel runner was more ostentatious than either of the two; a full arch that acted as an aerodynamic advantage for speed. Along with the fact that its driver was a bit narcasstic, it was a given for the duel runner to claim, at the least, most of his attention.

He blinked, trying to recall what he was doing before. Steadily, he walked toward the computer, as his gaze shifted toward the flyer taped to the upper walls. That's right; the WRGP was coming up. He was trying to fix the engines, wasn't he? Where was Crow? And Jack? The others were probably still at school.

That's right; Crow was working a double shift tonight for another job, but, as it so happens, he didn't need his duel runner. Neither did Jack, since he was still trying to hold down…something.

Slowly, Yusei sat down at the computer, typing in a few random letters as to get the screen running. Automatically, the plans opened in front of him. He narrowed his eyes, as he scanned the frustrating problem over and over again.

Slowly, he started typing again, the program gradually increasing in intensity as he did so; complex formulas began changing over and over again, while he worked out yet another way to make the energy input more efficient. The power surge would need to be rerouted here, but Yusei felt that they could afford the energy storage compartment could loosen up its restraints against the fuel intake…

Again, his eyes flickered toward the empty room.

Crow was working a double shift tonight.

Jack was trying to hold something down.

Akiza and the others were still at school.

The WRGP was coming up soon.

He came back to the computer then, and concentrated on the next data set. Judging from the charts, it seems the energy surge was starting to improve, though not by much. The correlation needed to be a bit stronger, if he wanted to know if what he did _actually worked._

He closed his eyes, and settled back in his seat. It wasn't long before his eyes began wandering around, the very thought of upgrading the runners still a pressing matter on his brain. Though of course, there were improvements, it wasn't enough to actually win the WRGP, unless all the other teams mysteriously vanished.

He stared up at the ceiling then, his eyes fixated on the cracks just above his head. How long had it been since their fight with the Dark Signers? How long since they moved in with Zora, since they beat Goodwin, since the Satellite had been rebuilt and everything seemed to be at peace, however eerie it was? How long, exactly, had it been, since there was anything the signers could do to, once again, save the world?

Crow was working a double shift tonight.

Jack was trying to hold something down.

Akiza and the others were still at school.

The WRGP was coming up soon.

He couldn't help but smile.

Have things always been so peaceful?


	3. Chapter 3

She pushed her bangs back, as she scrutinized the articles messily piled on her desk. Dark, green eyes kept scanning the headlines over and over again, all the while endeavoring to memorize the victims' names, however stupid they may have seemed. After an hour or so, she simply sighed and settled back in her seat, rubbing her temples in frustration.

Her long, blond locks were tied back into four simple braids, with a neat little tail around the back. Her red jacket gleamed nostalgically along the lines of the fading sunlight, her blue skirt blending in with the growing shadows in her office. She wore a white undershirt, one that reflected back the words of the documents. Pearl nails kept rapping the black desk impatiently, as she looked over the articles for the umpteenth today. Finally, she closed her eyes, and shoved the articles away from her.

Angela was getting nowhere with this.

Why the editor-in-chief decided to make _her_ the lead reporter for this, she had no idea. Digging up scandals about celebrities was more her thing; entertaining the masses was her thing; starting _drama_ was her thing. And yet, for some reason, she had to be assigned to…whatever _this_ was. But, out of a momentary lapse of sanity, she decided to take the assignment anyways. She was never one for giving up after all, and besides, if she completed her assignment, the chief did say she'd get a promotion.

Well, a couple of weeks later, and here she still was.

What'd the chief want her to do anyways? Find the name of the culprit? Make an obituary for all the deaths? Let the public knows what _actually_ happened? Follow the Public Security Bureau with the investigation? Provide a comprehensive report? Help them with the autopsies? Seriously, Angela was _this_ close to shoving the assignment back into the chief's smug face and getting the heck out of here.

She stared lazily at the empty space in front of her, taking in all the white walls, with a stray poster of a kitten lying somewhere along her right side. Two tall bookcases nestled against those walls, most of which were empty, aside from a few diplomas and books. A small, tiny tree stood near the cases, but from here, it seems the green was already starting to fade. Well, it's only natural; Angela didn't really have a green thumb to begin with.

But then of course, that stupid plant wasn't the issue here. As of this point, all she could think of was the recent attacks on the upper officials. According to the recent news reports, most of them died in the hospital, just a mere few hours after they were admitted to the emergency room. The doctors couldn't really find anything, and whenever they did they'd only put say the victims died of heart failure, or stroke, or whatever. Neither the city nor the families were allowing them to do autopsies for them, and since that was the case, the police can't get any of the data to forensic labs.

The rest, however, died on the streets. Unlike the hospitalizations, everyone knew how the victims died. Some had bullet holes in their heads, while others with knives in their throats, their eyes wide with terror. Some were found in back alleys, others in abandoned warehouses, some even near what used to be the old Satellite. There was even one man who hung from a light post, the noose tightly secured around his neck.

Dismemberment, sexual assault, hate crimes, any theory the public could get their hands on; that's what people would go for. Rumors kept shrouding the entire case in mystery; government conspiracies, corruption in the higher-ups, bribing. No one believed the police had anything to do with it, and right now, everyone agreed that the killings were, indeed, the work of a psychopath, maybe two, maybe three.

Her eyes carefully flickered over to the neat little list she'd made several days back. Slowly, she reached out for it, and examined whatever contents she'd scribbled down on it. The funeral homes won't give her clearance to see the bodies, and the chief-of-police wasn't really that eager to work with a reporter on the case either. The only thing she _can_ do was wait like everyone else, and see where the articles lead her. If she wanted to get any real information, she was probably going to have to interview the families first, then the police, then the medical staff.

But there in lies the problem; people saw her all the time reporting on would take her seriously; in fact that's what happened when the Satellite rioted. Even Goodwin, who provided most of her leads, had brushed her aside.

The very thought of it caused her to clutch the edge of the papers tightly, as she narrowed her eyes in contempt.

Good riddance.

"E-e-excuse me?" a timid voice called from behind the door.

She jumped and looked up. Her lips parted for a second, as she stared at the closed door, the words still swirling in her head. Before long, the voice called again. "M-Ms. Raines?"

"Y-yes!" she managed.

A small, squeaky little boy came through. Immediately, her tense shoulders relaxed, and she, once again, poured herself over the files. "T-there's s-someone…I, um…t-there's-"

"Bring them in."

"Y-yes ma'am!" And with that, the little boy scurried off, happy that he was of use today.

An intern probably.

Afterwards, silence followed, though Angela could still make out calm footsteps slowly making their way in the room. She heard the door shut in a matter of seconds. There was an awkward pause as the presence came forth, but immediately, the fluorescent lights came on, making the articles clearer to see. Huh; she'd forgotten about the light switch.

"Well?" she asked. "Make it quick."

"Um…right. I'll be helping you with the story, the one about the murders."

She looked up.

He had cropped, dark brown hair, with bright, hazel highlights on top. Dark, piercing eyes blended with the shadows around her, though his skin contrasted sharply to it. He wore a blue, Academy jacket, with a black undershirt beneath it. Dark jeans hugged his legs, and if she squinted, she could make out a single paper in his left pocket. The application.

The new kid, the one from Duel Academy. How old was he anyways? Sixteen? Seventeen? Twelve?

Still, she could use some help. So she smiled her professional smile, and leaned back in her chair. "Right, so you passed the interview, huh?"

He nodded. "Yes. I've done some research about the victims, but other than that-"

"Good," she interrupted, as she stacked the papers into one neat pile. She placed them at the front of her desk, shoved them forward, and stood up. "Go put those away for me."

He blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Misty Tredwell is coming back to Neo Domino," she explained as she walked to the other side of the room. "I'm going to cover it for tonight's story, so I need you to-"

"W-wait!"

"What?"

"What about the case?"

"Just leave it," Angela snapped, before turning the knob and walking out, the victims' names still embedded in her mind.

* * *

"Give me the wrench."

"What for?"

"Just give it to me."

"Yeah…but why?"

"Crow," Yusei said exasperatedly, as he gave his friend a hard stare. After the brief struggle, the redhead sighed, and handed Yusei what he needed. He scratched the back of his head then, as he regarded the duel runners evenly. He scrunched up his nose, before finally nodding in approval. "Hey, looks like we got something."

"Yeah," Yusei replied aimlessly, as he stole one look to his laptop. He stared at it for a while, before returning to the engine. The compressor needed to be tightened, as did the cylinders. How efficient the entire thing is though, Yusei still couldn't tell; the friction alone will push it to its limits, and if they go too fast, the whole thing might overheat.

"So…how was your day?" Crow continued, fingering the handles on the duel runner. Yusei stole a look at him, before continuing on with the latest upgrades. "Fine," he answered.

Crow fixed his dark viridian headband uncomfortably, as he watched Yusei work. He was wearing his job uniform, which only consisted of a single, yellow jacket, with the restaurant logo embedded in the front. Since he hadn't taken the thing off, along with the fact that there were dark shadows embedded beneath his eyes, Yusei knew the guy was going to collapse in the next few moments. Well, he'd been working hard, and Yusei was almost done always; Crow could use a little break.

"Any calls?" Crow suddenly asked.

"Two cars broke down," Yusei explained. "And someone asked me to rebuild their air conditioner."

"…Why?"

"One of the kids threw it out on the street. Crazy, huh?"

"Yeah. Hey, speaking of crazy," Crow began, folding his arms to his chest, "where's Jack?"

"Try the cafe," Yusei said nonchalantly, as he reached over for a screwdriver. As soon as he grabbed it, he couldn't help but notice Crow's shocked face. He sighed, then turned to the duelist with a sympathetic look. "He's trying-"

"Be right back," he grumbled miserably. "You done with her yet?"

"I haven't even started-"

"Good." Immediately, Crow reached over and grabbed his helmet, before setting himself on the driver's seat and speeding right out of the garage.

He stared after his friend for a bit, the comical fight replaying in his head over and over again. He smirked, then turned back and examined the engine. Personally, he didn't even know what to do with those two; sometimes, they were helpful, other times not. Then of course, the three have always been the best of friends, and pissing each other off was probably apart of that friendship, however… confusing it might've seemed.

He twisted the nail into its place, then looked back onto the computer. With both hands, he began grounding the wires to the machine, ignoring the rusty scent coming off the engine. Not enough capacity either; was he going to have to rebuild this thing over again?

Apparently not. The capacitors seemed to fit okay, and the braking system was strong enough to, at the very least, slow the duel runner down in the event something happened. And admittedly, it did look good.

"Yusei?"

He blinked, as the shadow came from the doorstep. His eyes flickered toward the garage door, and before long, he saw Jaden standing there, with a wiry smile on his face.

Automatically, Yusei straightened, the faintest hints of pleasant surprise on his face. It'd been a while since he saw the brunette. The last time they talked, he couldn't really remember when, and how they actually met, he'd forgotten long ago. But still, Yusei welcomed him. "Hey."

The boy nodded in return, as he plopped down onto that old, beat-up couch. With one, stray glance, he turned back to Yusei, and smiled. "You're training for the WRGP?"

"How'd you-?"

"Aki told me."

Yusei stared at Jaden's school uniform for a while, before realizing the two went to the same school. "I didn't think you two actually knew each other."

He shrugged. "Well, we do. She's my _very bestest friend_ in the _whole wide world."_

Yusei fought down a jealous pang, quickly replacing it with a simple, tight smile. "You're an idiot."

"Bite me."

"Whatever," Yusei replied back. "So, how've things been with you? Been a while since I last saw you."

"Yeah; I've been meaning to keep in touch. So hey, remember what I told you before, about that internship?"

Yusei paused for a moment, thinking back to the conversations the two barely had with each other. That's right; the one with that news station. "You get it?"

"I…think I did?"

"What'd you mean you 'think'?"

"See, there was this lady who was supposed to teach me stuff," Jaden explained quietly, as he leaned back on the sofa, his eyes staring at nothing in particular. "But apparently, she had somewhere to be, so she had me put files away for her. It's so stupid."

"You're a high school student." he reminded.

"So?"

"You've got to prove yourself before you can actually _do_ anything."

"But seriously, I thought this was gonna be…you know, an _internship_ ," he complained. "What's gonna happen on Monday, huh? Grab a coffee, sit down, answer calls? If that's all, I'd rather be in class."

"So…that lady…"

"Oh right! My mentor…" His voice faltered, a weary frown coming upon his face. "Angela Raines. She's a reporter for the entertainment industry. She hates kids."

"Birds of a feather."

"Shut it."

Yusei chuckled slightly, as he looked down at the engine, his hands aimlessly fumbling around once more. "But that's it?" he pressed. "No story? No super cool scandal you've always kept talking about?"

Jaden was about to say something, when he stopped, his lips halfway opened. After a few moments of silence, he relaxed, a curiously morbid smile on his face. "Actually, there is one…"

"Which celebrity?"

"No, not those idiots this time," Jaden remarked. "It's real, this story, the kind people actually care about."

Yusei groaned mentally. "Look, if it's about Jack-"

But the boy shook his head. "Nope. So you know about the recent murders right? The one with the politicians and all that?"

Well yes, who hasn't? The killings were so brutal everyone was talking about them, and as such, yesterday Carly felt entitled to tell it to the entire team, just to make sure they'd be on the lookout. Of course, since Akiza was the daughter of a senator, she'd have to be more careful than the rest, but other than that little burden, there was nothing else out of the ordinary, nothing at all that touched their seemingly normal lives. "So you're following that case?" Yusei asked.

Jaden snorted. "Well, yeah, since _Ms. Raines_ can't get her head out of her ass to do anything about it. It's been weeks, and so far, she's got nothing on the killer."

"So she's just…letting _you_ work with her?"

"But in all honesty," he continued, brushing aside Yusei's snide comment, "I've been following this for a while. I'd want to get to the bottom of it too, you know?"

"Oh, so you're a good guy now."

"Quiet."

"Right," he said jokingly. He reached out to the handles, and twisted it, listening to the engine's roar reverberating throughout the garage. He examined the duel runner for a while longer, before standing up, the wrench slipping from his hand in a split second. "So, got any plans of how you're gonna do this?"

"I want to see what Raines has first."

"…So you've got nothing…?"

"All the bodies are being held in one little funeral home right now," he stated haughtily. "If I can get in and talk with the director, maybe they'd give me something."

"…You really are clueless."

"Huh?"

"The doctors all said the victims died of _natural_ causes. As for the ones on the streets-"

"It can't be that simple."

"Let the police do their jobs; remember, you're an intern." Yusei advised, as he wiped his hands on the rags. "You're only job is to, I don't know, intern or something…?"

"No way. There's absolutely no _freaking_ way I'm sitting on the sidelines."

"…Isn't that what reporters do?"

"I-"

"Like _I_ said; just do your job. The police will catch the guy eventually. In the meantime, you can always-"

"Don't you even-"

"-grab a coffee, maybe sit down and take some calls-"

A wrench came flying to Yusei's head just seconds later.

* * *

He awoke to the sound of dripping water.

Groggily, Sayer sat up, a deep, stabbing pain throbbing within his chest. His eyes wearily surveyed whatever was around him, all the while trying to ignore the obvious darkness so lovingly enveloped around his vision. In a split second, the lights came on, causing Sayer to wince painfully at the burning rays. When the light cleared, he couldn't help but freeze, unable to breathe, or move.

The interrogation room.

He remembered how it looked, the first time he arrived. He remembered looking down at tiny faces on some paper he couldn't read, at different names he never bothered learning. He remembered how badly they beat him, how they simply dragged him into this room, handcuffed to the chair, as they asked him how many children have disappeared under his care. He remembered how his answer kept changing, how he kept trying to keep the truth from them, trying to cover up his true nature with the same facades he'd lost track of some time ago. He remembered how brutal they were, how incredibly monstrous they were, drilling his head with lies upon lies, using the very same technique he had to ensnare the truth from him. Yes, he remembered that mirror there too, remembered the handsome stranger who once sat there, staring back at him, the reflection so very similar to his own.

He shuddered at the memories, and looked down at the iron table, so very reminiscent of the tables he strapped countless of duelists on.

What could they possibly want from him?

Another swab sample? Another plea deal? For him to come to court for yet another missing persons case?

What?

"Sayer."

He turned around.

There was a young woman standing there, just a mere foot behind him. She was young, early twenties almost. Light brown skin lay claim to the pale, white walls around her, with dark locks tied in a neat, little bun behind her head. Bright blue, almost purple eyes gazed back at him, judging him without the slightest of effort. There was a pale, white folder tucked neatly away in her arms, along with a black pen that looked a bit too sharp for his tastes. She was dressed in a sleek, red dress, with a small, black jacket around her tiny shoulders. While she sounded calm, robotic, when he caught a glimpse at her expression, he shivered at her icy glare, so much so he almost slunk away from her.

"Sayer?" she repeated.

Dumbly, he nodded.

She sighed angrily, as swirled around, her heels sharply striking the ground. "I trust you know who I am?" she asked quietly, as she sat down in front of him with the same, intense look.

He only shook his head.

"Sarah," she stated calmly. She placed her elbows on the table, and leaned toward him. "Sarah Amrbosine."

He blinked, before cocking his head, just a tiny bit.

Amrbosine.

He's heard that name somewhere before.

"I'm with the Public Security Bureau," she continued. "I was assigned to your case. I can assure you that you're in good hands, alright?"

Mutely, he nodded.

She stared at him for a while, before closing her eyes, and opening up the white folder. "And if everything goes well," she began, as she splayed its contents all over the table, "you might even get out of here in the next few hours."

He gave her an incredulous look.

That was impossible; if someone had been working to free him for the past months, he would certainly know about it. And besides, who was she to order him around anyways? What'd she have to do with him?

"Sayer," she said in a hard voice. "I have the power to free you, without any legal struggle. I can get the court approval in a matter of hours; all you have to do is answer a simple question. Understand?"

"…Why?" he croaked.

"Pardon?"

Strange, how his voice sounded after all this time. Then again, he'd spent so much time by his lonesome, any sound may seem odd really, aside from the guards, of course. "Why're you…?"

"Because you can do something for me."

"…And-?"

"You're not really in any position to question my authority, are you?" Ms. Amrbosine hissed then, causing him to fall silent. She stared at him for a while, before she smirked, and gazed down at the neat pile of papers now lying in front of her. "Don't worry; it's not about you."

"…T-then who-?"

"Someone from the Arcadia Movement," she answered quickly. Carefully, she slid a photograph across the table, her fingertips lightly touching the edges. "Now, tell me; are you familiar with this person?"

Sayer leaned over, and immediately, his senses returned. He blinked then, as he regarded the woman evenly. "What'd you want from me?"

"A name."

Sayer gazed down at the photograph again. "He's not in the Movement."

"Our records show different."

The quiet persisted for a while, as he stared down at the photograph. He bit the inside of his cheek; he'd do anything, anything at all, to get out of here.

"Yusei," he said. "Yusei Fudo."

True to her word, in just a few hours, Sayer's appeal was issued. He was released from prison the very same day.


	4. Chapter 4

Akiza walked throughout the bustling streets, the lampposts brightly lit throughout downtown Neo Domino. Glimmering stores kept up with their radiating glow, their colorful signs plastered everywhere, most of which revolved around the upcoming minor leagues. Stores showed off their elegance, from clothing, to chandeliers, to even performances, which radiated in a sort of immature sophistication, something Akiza had been, at least, a little interested in. Lively conversations kept on with their pace, and the smell of food drifted outside the restaurants, accompanied by drunken laughter. If she listened closely, she could catch little snippets of their jokes, though of course, a second later, she'd lose interest, and fall away completely.

The warm, humid air coated itself around her skin, as she looked down at the sidewalks, her red pumps blending in with the hazy silhouettes nearby. Her dark bangs softly caressing her skin as she strolled on, her Victorian outfit blending in with the scenery with perfect ease. Golden orbs came back up as soon as she heard some people lingering near. Without the slightest effort, she smiled her usual smile. The onlookers stared at her for a while, then, before long, they returned it, and continued on their way.

She liked the way people treated her now. There were no screams, no cries. She never ran into anyone at the Fortune Cup, and whenever some duelist did come up to her, it was because they thought she was amazing at how she wielded her deck. The compliments were genuine, and whatever traces of sarcasm there'd been was now long forgotten. The present was so different from before; it was so different she couldn't help but wonder if this was the same life she had before.

As the businesses became less pronounced, and the evening moonlight coming toward her with its lonely magnificence, she stopped, and breathed in the cool, lazy breeze. Deep verdant came forth from the trees, and lively shadows calmed themselves deliberately. Soon, the pavement became wider, with the conversations quietly slipping away from her ears. She blinked, then turned back to the busy places. She stared at the entire scene for a while, before she left those streets. She came into a local park then, one she used to visit when she was little.

From a distance, she could make out a small, brown gazebo, hidden away within the trees. She could still make out a few cobwebs shimmering in the nostalgic light, with dangling spiders over the edge. Just a few feet from that, was a small, tiny garden, filled with blossoms from another season. Some of the flowers were wilting, but their newer, younger counterparts were taking shrouding them quite easily. Bright, vibrant petals hid old, wizened ones, and the soft leaves masked whatever thorns and bristles the previous generation had carried over. It was a bit sad, to see them like that, but then again, who was she to question them? If anything, those plants needed to be removed, else they'd take up all the room in the garden.

As she strolled down the sidewalk, fond memories came coursing back. She always came here, for one reason or another, whether to cry, or laugh, or just play with the flowers. Sometimes, her parents came with her, while other times, she was alone. But the results were always the same; she'd be attracted to the roses growing here, their wonderful aroma embracing their surroundings. She knew of their thorns, and there were times when she accidentally pricked herself on them, but nonetheless, she loved them, both the roses, and their thorns.

She placed her hands behind her back.

Yusei, Jack, Crow, Leo and Luna, and of course, Jaden and Alexis.

She could practically see them now, standing there, waiting for her to come to them. She could see Yusei reaching out for her, a patient, expectant smile on his face, as she came forth, knowing full well the treasures she found in them.

And she couldn't help but laugh. Seriously, if any one of them found her here, she might as well have died of embarrassment. Crow and Jack might just trample all over the flowers with their stupid fights, and Alexis might try burning something down, with, of course, Jaden in tow. Leo might join in on the fun, but Luna and Yusei would stay behind. In fact, they might try to stop the destruction from unfolding, but she could definitely see them laughing too. In a good way, she might add. And who knows? Akiza might just join them.

But before she knew it, she stopped.

All the air rushed out of her body. Her eyes were wide with surprise, as she looked at the person standing beside her, the desperation so clearly evident on their face.

A boy, from what she could remember.

There were bruises all over his battered face. Scabs marred his cheek, and stitches adorned his arms and legs. He was dressed in brown rags, with chains dangling from his wrist. Brown, scraggly hair clung to his neck, and with a wide, frightened groan. He was trembling, and freezing, and bleeding, all over. There was something there, beneath his light blue skin, something crawling underneath that transparent mess, something following the lines of the veins.

Insects.

They were insects.

Maggots, worms, parasites; they all fell out from him, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

And yet, the thing she could remember the most, was the single, black rose embedded in his neck.

Bone for leaves.

Scars for thorns.

Blood for petals.

The boy's cracked lips opened, the vague air coming around him. He reached out to her, and with one, deep breath, he began calling out for her.

She could see her name written all over his sewn lips, as he tried over and over again, tried to speak out to her, tried to grab hold of her with his fragile grip.

He took one step closer, and then another step, then another, then another, then another.

And when she blinked, the boy was gone.

* * *

Someone was crying.

Someone was _crying_.

Yusei wandered through the darkness, the uncertainty trapped within his eyes. He fumbled through the black, trying to see far out from him. He squinted his eyes, before closing them once again, and reopening them.

Light.

"Hey, Yusei!"

He fought down a wince, as he slowly sat up. A sharp pang stabbed his head, but he brushed it aside, as he groped the soft covers around him. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from moaning, as he looked up.

Crow.

Jack.

"What're you two doing?" was the first thing he asked.

Jack snorted. "What'd you mean what're _we_ doing?" he stated arrogantly. "We've got to test out the new engine; you did fix it, didn't you?"

"Y-yeah," he whispered quietly, shoving the confusing dream toward the back of his mind. Slowly, he placed his feet on the ground and stood, the headache now just beginning passing by. "Just give me one minute."

Crow stared at his friend, as he fumbled his way to the machines, steadily holding himself as the fatigue quickly slipped by him. He bent down, and started up the computer. "Go ahead," Yusei said.

Silence diffused throughout the room, but no sooner had it arrived did it vanish. Jack nodded approvingly, and, with one fluid motion, he set himself on the duel runner's skeletal frame. His hand twisted the handle, and the engine immediately came to life. "Right! See? Purring like a kitten."

"Slow down a little," Crow commanded.

"What? No way."

"Jack, you're gonna overheat the engine like last time. Slow. Down."

"You can't tell me what to do," Jack stubbornly said, "and besides, everything's fine! Not in the red, right?"

"Nope," Yusei muttered quietly.

"See? Yusei thinks it's fine."

"Well, I'm telling you it's _not_. Slow. _Down."_

Jack rammed the gas pedal, causing the sped to accelerate.

"What the heck man?!"

"Jack Atlas doesn't _take_ orders! I know what I'm doing!"

"Well apparently, _YOU DON'T!"_

Yusei gave the two an amused smile, as he continued monitoring the engine's process. He stared at the needle, as he began searching through the code, trying to find any errors that would've slowed them down; he mentally cheered when he didn't those simplistic mistakes. He stared at the meter again; eighty and still steady. Though this wasn't nearly as fast as they needed it to be, at the very least it was a big improvement from what they had just days earlier.

"Hey, Jack, slow down." Yusei said.

"What?" the blonde screamed.

Well this can't be good.

Yusei turned back with a cool frown plastered on his lips. "Slow down!" he shouted again.

"There; you see? Slow down nimrod!"

"I can't hear you!" Jack replied, the same, serious frown on his face.

"Push the breaks!"

"What?!"

"PUSH THE DAMN-!"

A familiar explosion erupted from the engine.

Yusei held his breath, the heat swarming around him. He could feel the flames stinging his palm, with the same, impossible frustration banging against his head. Clear, blue eyes gazed past the smoke, as he made out the familiar silhouettes behind the ash and ember. He sighed humorlessly, as he turned his attention to the engine; what'd he do this time? It was fine just a minute ago, and the program didn't seem to have any flaws in it.

He waved his arm around, as he ignored Jack's incompetence in following common sense. "Hey, guys, you okay?"

No answer.

"Guys!"

Still nothing.

Yusei looked down at his computer, trying to reread the program lines once again. The engine still can't handle the strain yet, and even if it could, he'd need another valve to help cool it down. Honestly, there wasn't much he could do, but to fix the engine up, and buy more parts. The codes needed to be reworked if they stood any chance of winning the WRGP.

He turned back. "Jack, Crow!"

Nothing.

"Seriously, this joke is really starting to get old-"

Cold, lifeless eyes stared back at him.

Tiny eyes.

Crying eyes.

There was a child lying there, right before him, with cold, tiny eyes.

She was completely naked, her horribly emaciated body laid out for the world to see. On her chest, a deep, gaping hole settled toward the middle, with black and blue entwining with the dried crimson so comfortably embracing the scene. She had dirty blond hair, with half the strands completely missing from her skull. Bruises covered her entire face, the ruptured vessels bleeding out from her limbs. Her lips were sewn into a dirtied, perverted smile, the blood trickling from her lips. If he squinted, he could see the salty streams running down her face, the misery so very evident in her gaze.

And when he looked up, he saw more.

And more.

And more.

All of whom were in the same condition as the girl. Some had broken limbs, others crooked bones. Some missing eyes, others missing teeth, with only bloody gums to show for it; some missing organs, others where organs were in the wrong places. Their bodies were marred by needle injections, the very same drugs already taking a toll on their nervous systems. He saw them twitching, unable to scream, unable to say anything at all. Only a few managed to pry open the stitches, but even then they could only get a mere whisper out from their throats, before being swept away by Death's embrace. The very same smiles were forced upon their lips, some more cruelly than others.

Clear blue eyes instantly clouded.

He couldn't move.

He couldn't do breathe.

He was on the verge of _screaming_.

"Yusei?"

And suddenly, they were gone.

"Yusei?" Crow said again.

He blinked, the darkness coming away from his eyes. Cold sweat came from his forehead, his fingertips icy to the touch. He stared around the room then, before coming back to his two friends, who were patiently waiting for him.

"Uh, Yus-?"

"R-right," Yusei quickly said, as he came back to the computer. "Jack, slow down next time, alright?"

Quiet came between the three duelists, as both Jack and Crow shared a concerned look. Before long, Jack stared down at the duel runner, as he murmured, "The _deuce_ was that?"

"What?"

"Yusei, we'd been calling you for like, five minutes now."

"Sorry," he muttered. "Just a little tired is all."

"A little? Yusei-"

"I'm fine," he cut off, his fingers flying across the keyboard then. "Crow, can you make sure the transmission's fine? I rerouted the power elsewhere too, so…"

"Got it."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Oi-"

"Jack," Yusei stated frustratedly. He paused for a moment, before closing his eyes, his nerves slowly calming from what'd happened just moments before. He took a deep breath, and turned to the blonde, who was, strangely, waiting for any answer. "I'm fine. Really."

"You know, Akiza should be out by now-"

"Quiet."

"What? I'm just saying-"

"You know, you've been pulling a lot of all-nighters," Crow interrupted, causing Jack to fall silent. "Maybe you should take a break once in a while, you know? Let us do something for a change."

"Guys, don't worry," he said, brushing aside their attempts.

Nothing.

He looked up. "Look, I'll be alright-"

The blonde stared at him doubtfully. He folded both arms across his chest, and narrowed his eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah, really."

"Then why'd you stop?"

He blinked. "The engine overheated-"

"No, it didn't."

"What?"

"The engine didn't overheat. You just stopped it midway. I was going fifty."

* * *

Alexis stood at the front of the cafe, as she smiled at the various customers who came her way. She closed her eyes then, and listened to the footsteps passing before her, the giggles that followed each and every person. When she reopened them, she saw a familiar person coming toward her, a person she couldn't help apologetically smile at. Well, she did drag him out of bed today, and he _did_ look like he was in a really bad mood…

She stepped away from the cafe building and walked toward him. A long, white blouse adorned her torso. A light, pink skirt seemingly floated down her ankles, with the hem steadily trailing behind. She tied her hair back in a neat ponytail, as she came to him, arms to her side. When she was just a few inches away from him, she stopped, and looked down. "Sorry about this."

Jaden raised an amused eyebrow, before taking her hand in his, and leading her out of the streets. "You really are a piece of work."

"But you still came."

"I guess," he replied aimlessly, as he led her toward the cafe. Dark blue jeans covered his own legs, and other than the light, black sweater he was wearing today, he wasn't wearing anything special. But she simply shrugged, and allowed him to lead, her eyes coming to his back pocket.

So it's a _paid_ internship, huh?

They walked into cafe, greeted by the scent of vanilla and chocolate. There was a small bakery toward the back corner, the golden lights shinning down on the various pastries resplendently. Donuts of every size lay just behind the glass cases, the frosting seemingly reflecting every possible customer within the restaurant. The whirling sounds of coffee machines kept on with their comforting tasks, the drinks pouring away into the warm glass without fail. The pale tiles reflected the sophistication of the cafe, though by no means was it as graceful as they contended. Warm hearths radiated from around the wooden tables, and when they came up to the counter, the same waitress greeted them, as she had time and time again. After ordering, the two went and sat down at their usual spot.

Alexis stared at Jaden for a while, before finally, speaking up. "You get the assignment?"

He blinked. "For which class?"

"Ms. Monroe."

"…Alexis…"

"I had something I had to do that day," she said quickly, as she tucked away a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Besides, it's not like she gives a crap about it anyways, and we got out early before she even told us what we were supposed to do."

"She emailed us, remember?"

"No."

"…So you didn't do anything?"

"That's a Sunday problem," she dismissed, as she turned her attention to the bakery.

" _Today's_ Sunday."

"…Okay…?"

"It's due _tomorrow."_

"…And?"

"We have to write a twelve-paged essay? The one about Faustus? The deal with the devil? Any of this ringing a bell?" he pressed, as he leaned forward, examining the girl for one long minute. She pretended to think for a while, before shaking her head. "No."

There it was again, that same, adorable blank stare. "Alexis…"

"What're the odds that I can rip some stuff off from Black Butler?"

"None."

"So how're things with Ms. Raines?"

"Don't change the subject," he reprimanded. "As soon as we're finished here, we're going to your place."

"No."

"What?"

"You know, if you keep complaining, you're might just end up losing your head someday," she teased quietly, as she settled back in her seat. "Don't worry about it; if I start on it tonight, I'll probably get it done in time for class tomorrow. I'm _smart_ , remember?"

"…I sincerely doubt that."

"Shut up. Anyways, back to _my_ question," she said vainly. Once again, her eyes flickered over toward the bakery. One of the waiters was now bringing them their drinks. She fell silent for a moment, as she smiled at the boy, who blushed slightly at her acknowledgment. Alexis watched as he hurried away then, trying to take care of the next customer in line. She lifted the cup toward her lips, savoring the warm chocolate now enveloping her tongue, before looking back at Jaden, who had that same, usual scowl on his face, the one that made her laugh.

And she did just that. "What?"

"You really shouldn't lead a guy on like that," he murmured, as he drank from his own cup.

Alexis cocked her head. "Huh?"

"That same guy's been serving us for the last month now," he explained. "Can't take his eyes off you."

"…Maybe he's watching you."

"What?"

"You always leave tips," she said. "And since you're supporting him financially, it's obvious he likes you better."

"…So Raines."

"Go on."

"I don't know," he sighed, swirling the drink in his cup with one hand. "It's been a week and she hasn't done anything with it yet. The most I actually got out of her was how big it'd be if the psychopath actually targeted the celebs, rather than the politicians."

"So… it's just one guy?"

"That's what the police think, but the investigation's ongoing," Jaden said. "Who knows how many people are out there."

She leaned forward. "You don't believe them, huh?"

"No, I do."

The surprise etched onto her face. That's odd; usually, Jaden never believed anything any of the higher-ups said; if he did, it meant that there was, without a doubt, hard evidence to back up whatever they just said. Considering he was a bit of an anarchist, this really was a big deal. She was about to pry for more, when she gazed at Jaden for a little while longer. "

You've got nothing," she finally stated.

"Just a hunch."

"There's no way they'd give a student clearance to see the bodies," Alexis continued. "And since the closest thing you have to a mentor is Raines, it's hard for you to get anywhere."

"Don't remind me. Yusei drilled me about it the other day."

Yusei; things would be a lot easier if _he_ was interested in the case. Along with saving the world from the Dark Signers, winning the Fortune Cup, _and_ getting the city to rebuild the Satellite, he would've been a perfect mentor, especially for something like this. Sector Security couldn't even _touch_ Jaden if Yusei decided to get involved in the case.

But Alexis knew better. To Yusei, they were just kids who were in way over their heads. She remembered how protective he was, the first time they met. She couldn't remember the circumstances, or the argument, for that matter, but she remembered how angry he was, when he realized they did something really dangerous. It was probably a prank, a crime, something they could get seriously hurt doing, and he scolded them for it. She'd never forget that day; in fact that was the only clear detail in her mind.

So, in a way, he was like an incredibly close friend, one they knew for a very long time, even though that wasn't the case. But at the same time, he also acted like the older brother she didn't want, even if it was for her own good.

"So what're you gonna do?" she asked then. "Are you still gonna work with her, or are you going to another station. I mean, you've been following this story for a while now, haven't you?"

"Well, yeah," Jaden replied, as he took another sip. He set the cup down, and gazed up at her. "I'm not giving up. They're crazy Lex; who knows how long it'd be before they start targeting other people? _Innocent_ people?"

She perked up. "So you're a good guy now!"

"…Shut it."

"What? Why?"

"Just don't," he said wearily, though a single, affectionate smile danced on his lips. "Anyways, I've got the articles at my place. We can just go there tomorrow, but you have to promise not to tell anyone, okay?"

"Right," she replied enthusiastically. "Wait, why tomorrow? Can't we just go there after this?"

"Lex…"

She pursed her lips; well, can't use that excuse again, right? "What about Aki?" she asked genuinely. "Her dad's a senator, remember?"

"He's out of the city, so he won't be back for a while. And besides, it's just politicians; the killer isn't targeting the families."

She gripped her cup tightly. "What about-?"

"Not Yusei either."

"But he could help."

"He's not interested. And besides, he's working to compete in the WRPG right now, so he's really busy."

"But-"

"Lex, promise me you won't tell anyone. This'll be our little secret, okay?"

She stared at down at her drink. In context, it made perfect sense to keep this hidden. After all, no one wanted two teenagers working on the case, and if Sector Security knew they were snooping around, they could get into serious trouble for it. Akiza and Yusei would only try to stop them, and even if Alexis did get them to change their minds, by that time the culprit might've already killed someone again. Plus, if it turns out that they find out who the true criminal was, they could spend time gathering the evidence, _without_ anyone knowing, before sending it to the police. That way, Jaden could keep his internship, and things could go back to the way they were supposed to be, before all this nonsense happened.

And Jaden and Alexis have always pulled these crazy stunts together. Whether it be doing simple pranks, or organizing illegal dueling matches, or even just pissing off Sector Security, or one the higher-ups, they've always done so side by side. It didn't matter who pulled the other down, or whose magnificent idea it was; they were partners-in-crime, and that was one relationship no one could throw away. They were dating too, and that's always a benefit.

But, for some reason, she still hesitated.

Why?

"Alexis?"

"Right," she said after a while. "Our little secret."


	5. Chapter 5

The magnificent walls reflected back the evening sunlight. Golden leaflets swirled around the brown stripes, the crimson paint behind it easily absorbing whatever stray light had come its way. Red carpet reached out toward the walls, easily claiming the designs plastered all over the room. Connecting the appearance was a low hanging chandelier, the dimly lit crystals arrogantly clinging to tiny, silver chains from the lights. And yet, just beyond that, were four large, rectangular windows. Dark golden curtains were settled on either side of the glass, the black metal bars on the outside marring the city light's beauty. Shadows grew longer and longer, their lines becoming less pronounced, as gradually, the night dominated the sky.

Sayer stood in that office, his hands neatly placed behind his back, his eyes flickering towards the two men who brought him here. He was wearing a simple, black sweater, with dark brown dress pants to go with it, and a white tie loosely hanging from his throat. He shifted his weight anxiously from one leg to the next, as he contemplated on his sudden freedom, along with the treatment he received ever since he came out.

It was a strange situation, really. Just seconds after Sayer came out of the prison, there was a limousine parked right outside for him, a sleek one, with a driver who knew Sayer by name. The man said Ms. Amrbosine had sent for Sayer, and it was imperative that they leave now so that they could reach the hotel. Although the psychic had his doubts, it wasn't like he had much of a choice to begin with. Already people were giving him disgusted looks, and because he had no deck to fight back with, he couldn't defend himself even from the most simplest of creatures. With no place to go, and practically no assets left to his name, the only option he had was to accept her offer. On a more positive note, considering she'd already freed him, and was now sending someone to pick him up, he really must've been valuable.

Either that, or she was just luring him in, just as he did to so many politicians.

However, nevertheless he was a bit surprised at her preparation. He got to stay in a five-starred hotel, where, as it turns out, everyone existed only to serve him. Suddenly, he was important, a person who could easily get rid of anyone he wished, remove any blemish from his mind; he possessed a kind of power he could only dream of, even when he was still leader of the Arcadia Movement. People kept calling him "sir", and if there was even the tiniest of mistakes, the employees got down on their knees, and literally begged for his forgiveness. All the while, someone else from the cleaning staff came to fix whatever the mess was; if the unfortunate culprit was anywhere nearby, they'd drag the poor sap off, something Sayer easily grew tired of.

Still, he knew this kind of lifestyle came with an incredibly heavy price tag. Even if someone was paying for him now, he knew that eventually, he'd have to pay them back, somehow, someway.

That was how society worked, after all.

He trained his eyes to the large desk in front of him, with the large, empty, black chair sitting just behind, awaiting its master to arrive. He stared at it for a while, before shoving his hands in his pockets, and turning his gaze elsewhere. Well, whoever Ms. Amrbosine was, she was wealthy. And from the way people treated him, just for being associated with her, it was clear she had power too. Power and influence.

The Arcadia Movement flashed his mind.

"Sayer."

Any ambition he had from that moment vanished. He stiffened automatically, as those familiar heels slowly came forth, the sound resonating from his ears. From the corner of his eyes, he saw her own hazy shadow making its way toward her desk. Before long, she sat down in front of him, with those same, cruel eyes staring him down. She was wearing the same dress she had from when they first met, and other than the barely recognizable show of respect she had in her expression, nothing had changed. He closed his eyes, and bowed. "Ms. Amrbosine."

"I trust you're doing well?"

"Yes, thanks to you. I hadn't expected you to be that accommodating."

"I told you before that you were in good hands," she replied tactfully, as she settled back in her chair. "That your worries will disappear, as long as you answered a simple question."

His eyes narrowed slightly, though he remained as he was. "You also said you were with the Public Security Bureau."

"If you're trying to get information from me, you're wasting your time. I've absolutely no idea who asked me to free you."

He looked up then, the shock just beginning to course through his system. "But it is someone from that sector, correct?"

She shrugged.

Sayer regarded her warily. Someone from the defense branch had asked this woman to free him. She asked him to identify Yusei, but other than that, there was nothing else he could go off of. What was this person's game anyways? What were they trying to accomplish? Was it someone he knew? Was it someone from the Arcadia Movement, who'd actually came out on top and was trying to repay Sayer?

No, that couldn't be. According to the news reports, the Arcadia Movement didn't have any members left, and financial assistance had gotten so low the organization was practically nonexistent. At best, it was at the mercy of other politicians who had just as much a right to it as Sayer did. And ever since Goodwin disappeared, the officials Sayer blackmailed were all swept out of office, replaced by unblemished goody-toe shoes with absolutely nothing to do with their free time.

Still, Ms. Amrbosine continued on, as if the exchange had never even happened. She opened a drawer just to her left, and pulled out that very same, white folder he'd seen the other day. Carefully, she placed the documents on the surface, and looked up at him, the same photograph dangling from her fingertips. "You're saying this person right here, is Yusei Fudo?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"I am," he stated. "I saw him at the Fortune Cup. If you ask any of the duelists who participated in the tournament, and even Lazar himself, I'm sure they'd give you the same answer."

She scrutinized him for a while, an unreadable expression grazing her features. Finally, she smirked, and set the photograph down. Quietly, she began thumbing through the papers, searching through document after document, the pace too quick for Sayer to see. He stole a quick glance at the men around her, before coming back to her. Immediately, he added, "He isn't in the Movement."

"He is."

"That isn't right," he rectified, knowing full well she had the upper hand. "The Arcadia Movement-"

"-is only for psychic duelists with extraordinary potential," she completed easily, pulling out yet another set of files. "They existed for the sole purpose of taking revenge against everyone who wronged them. In other words, they were _your_ personal soldiers, whom you planned on using to take over the world."

Sayer gritted his teeth. There was no use lying to her; if he tried protecting himself now, he knew he'd lose her confidence. She also had the files in front of her, and it's clear to him that she's done her homework. "That's right," he admitted.

"Can you tell me who your sponsors were?"

"We had a couple," he answered vaguely. "Some officials I had dirt on. I don't remember their names-"

"Of course you don't," she dismissed. "I don't expect you to."

"Then what're you asking for?"

"Just curious," she replied. "A powerful thing, you know, curiosity. It's what led civilizations time and time again, within this strange, twisted world. And it's the very thing that drives me to this day. You understand, don't you?"

He stared at her for a moment, before nodding, trying to, at the very least, grasp onto what she was saying. "I do."

"Good. Then it's safe for me to say, that I believe it's that same curiosity that led the two of us work together."

He blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You were the leader of the Arcadia Movement," she said calmly, as she leaned back against her seat. "You had dirt on every single politician in the city when Goodwin was still director. And let's not forget, you've got connections to a ah, Mr. Yusei Fudo, was it?"

"Correct. But I still don't see how he has anything to do with the Movement. After all, he's one of the reasons why-"

"-why a certain duelist left. The Black Rose, I take it?"

He fell silent.

"And there it is," Ms. Amrbosine gloated softly, a slow, predatory smile coming onto her face. "The Black Rose, one of your top duelists, was also a young girl, by the name of Akiza Izinski. Somehow, you manipulated her into coming into the organization, and took control of her powers, right?"

Sayer narrowed his eyes. "She was in full control-"

"She was but a young child, too naive to see the monster in front of her," she continued, as she stretched out her hand to the empty air. She turned her palm up, as though she were holding a wineglass, one filled with blue and black and every shade in-between. "But then she met a very special someone, and so, she became conflicted. Who did her loyalties lie? With the organization? Or with that someone? A bit cliche, if you ask me."

"What'd you want?" Sayer finally asked.

"To work together."

"Really…"

"But it's true. After all, you're the only lead we've got when it comes to Mr. Fudo. And it seems we can put your powers to use."

Sayer clenched his fists. "How was Yusei Fudo involved?"

She only smiled.

"Ms. Amrbosine-"

"I'd rather not give out that sort of information to strangers."

"You released me from prison, and it was _your_ organization who took care of me these past few days. You also said I was in good hands-"

"Meaning I can also abandon you."

The informal, almost carefree atmosphere around her vanished almost instantaneously. Sayer could feel the cold envelop around his fingers, with a deep, seated pain boiling through in his stomach. He gasped for air, as his vision coated with red, his vision now only a hazy blur. He tried moving, tried lunging forward toward her desk, if only to steady himself, but even that avoided him. He was left standing there, attempting to claw at his own throat, the searing pain now scorching his entire abdomen. All the while, the very same shadows came around her, her own, dark eyes now pitch black. And yet, she still folded her hands in front of her, as she watched him struggle, mentally, emotionally.

"With one little call, I can erase your appeal," she warned darkly. "I can make the public remember what you did to those children. I can give you back to the Security Bureau, and let them deal with you however they will. I can lock you away in a jail cell, and let you rot, until you're nothing but dust. I can make the world hate you, make you a wanted man, make every single criminal syndicate hunt you down for the remainder of your days. I can feed you to your own demons, Sayer; just say the word, and I'll do it. Remember that."

And just like that, the pain was gone.

He clutched his chest helplessly, heaving heavily against the frost-stricken air. He gazed up at her once more, his pride shattered before his very eyes. No, there wasn't any humiliation, nor embarrassment, and not even shame. It was more frightening than that, more memorable, up to a fault. An emotion he hadn't felt in a long time.

Fear.

"I'll make you a deal," Ms. Amrbosine began, as Sayer held himself steady. "If you cooperate with our organization, we'll provide for you. We'll make sure you live well to the rest of your days, and you won't have to worry about anything ever again."

What was he supposed to do?

Did he dare ask?

But it seemed the woman sensed his question, and answered accordingly. "Sometimes, it'd be just simple interview questions, while other times, simple tasks I'm sure you know how to do. I can assure you that it's nothing dangerous; you _are_ our only lead. And we won't go back on our word when we find more. Do I make myself clear, Sayer?"

Mutely, he nodded.

"Good," she said finally. "I expect you to come in tomorrow morning, at seven. We'll continue as we did tonight."

And with that, the two men escorted Sayer out of the office, and back into the hotel. He refused to eat anything.

* * *

"I don't get it."

"I don't either," Yusei replied, as he strolled through the streets, passing by the old, rundown buildings as he did. "You don't just throw some random air conditioner at an old man like that."

Akiza sighed tiredly, rubbing her eyes from the fatigue. She stayed up all night to finish up an assignment for physics. Supposedly, she would've been asleep by one, but since Alexis called and asked her about an essay, sleep avoided her. The only thing Akiza could've done all day was try not to doze off, knowing full well that if she had, Mr. Heitmann would get onto her.

And it was through that experience Akiza decided she needed a break. She was just walking through the new Satellite residential area, a pretty neighborhood that was one devoid of crime. It was incredibly quiet, something Akiza desperately needed for the time being. However, about ten minutes ago, she ran into Yusei, who had gotten annoyed with Crow and Jack's constant bickering. He joined her then, and that was how the two came together for that one, peaceful afternoon.

"Yeah, right," she replied, while fighting back a yawn.

She felt Yusei's deep blue eyes examine her for a while, before coming back to the sidewalk. "School work?" he asked.

"I was helping someone," she answered. "Sorry, go on. So…kid throw the air conditioner, and the old guy wants you to fix it…?"

"I…don't know. He keeps saying he'll get rid of the thing eventually… but never mind that. So, physics?"

She shook her head. "English. A friend wanted me to help her out."

"An essay?"

"Right."

"Did you write the whole paper or something?"

Personally, Akiza didn't know. She had to read the SparkNotes version of _Dr. Faustus_ to Alexis for about an hour or two. Afterwards, the girl started spouting philosophical nonsense about the play over the phone, something Akiza couldn't help but find just a tiny bit irritating. It took almost thirty minutes to get Alexis to actually start writing the paper. And every single time Akiza hung up, there'd always be another call from the blonde, asking where each concept should go, what she should do about a paragraph she didn't want to get rid of, whether or not the essay should be double-spaced, anything at all that came to mind. And by the time morning came, when Alexis was finally finished with the stupid thing, Akiza was brain-dead. What was Alexis doing before all this anyways?

"No," was all she said.

Yusei chuckled playfully. "Liar."

"Half of it," she corrected pathetically. "She probably plagiarized the rest from SparkNotes."

"Hey, at least it's over."

"That's the thing though," Akiza huffed. "She's always waiting to the last minute to do something. Then, when it's time to turn the stupid thing in, she's always _begging_ for _my_ help. Either that, or she just asks some random teacher to extend the deadline for her."

"…Does it work?"

"Yes."

Akiza felt his hand come up to her head then, his fingers lightly touching the tip of her crown. A slight blush came upon her face, though she managed to brush it aside, as she savored the affectionate ruffle. Moments like these were precious to her; it made her heart skip a beat, and let her know that someone was there, always there.

That strange boy came to mind then.

"Akiza?"

She blinked, before turning back to Yusei. "Hmm?"

"Didn't you hear me?"

She paused for a moment. After a while, a deep, scarlet flush replaced the light, adorable one she had from before. "S-sorry," she managed. "What'd you-?"

"I said she reminded me of Jack."

Her eyes widened. "O-oh."

He placed his hand back to his side, much to her disappointment. "Well, Jack does try, and he's a hard worker. Just, not in the most convenient of ways."

"Huh. So, how's the engine? Is it, you know, working?"

"I…guess?"

The conversation kept on for sometime, never once bothering to lapse into awkward silence. As they passed the modern homes, Akiza couldn't help but stare at the white picket fences erected for the complexes, at the clean cut lawns that seemed to draw her attention everywhere at once. The houses were all similar in a way, though the design was different; for one thing, they seemed to share the same builders, the same designers, anything at all that was, at the very least, similar. And the way everyone moved in, with their painted on smiles and the like, was a bit eerie. Still, she could see a few moving trucks here and there, the neighbors gathered around to celebrate their newest additions. Apparently, what was creepy for her was normal for everyone else.

Again, the boy appeared before her.

She closed her eyes, and concentrated on Yusei's words then.

As soon as she opened her eyes, he was gone.

She could only smile, as she listened to Yusei recount the odd requests his customers had given him. Yes, she asked him about Jack, who still couldn't hold down a job, as well as Crow, who was doing just fine on his own. And he asked her about school, how Luna and Leo were doing, both of which were holding steady in their classes. He asked her about her friends, if she was getting along with everyone there, and all she told him was a simple, "Yes."

Over and over again, the boy kept coming up in her mind, and each time, she dismissed him. And yet, despite all that, Akiza knew there was something familiar about the boy. A haunting recognition, however vague it may seem, that lingered there, in the back of her mind, waiting for her to remember it.

Yes, she could remember him.

She _should_ remember him

But for some reason, she didn't.


	6. Chapter 6

Yusei watched the screen aimlessly, one hand against his cheek, the other on his lap, as he tried paying attention to whatever program was on. But then, it was hard to do that, considering the fact Leo kept changing the channel every ten seconds.

The boy was incredibly hyper today, despite the fact he failed most his tests, and somehow lost all his duels. Then again, the setbacks weren't really on his mind, as he went on and on about the latest super heroes he heard about, or the newest additions to the pro-leagues. His bluish green ponytail kept bouncing everywhere as he relayed his excitement, his bright, golden eyes searching through the commercials to see if his idols were getting the respect they deserve. Meanwhile, his twin, Luna, simply chided him pathetically, endeavoring to calm him down, all the while listening intently to whichever program was on.

Tonight, he was at their manor, with Jack and Crow. Since their parents were still out, and they could invite whomever they wanted to as long as they weren't marked (which was a bit of a moot point), they decidedly asked the guys to come; Akiza couldn't make it because she had to help someone in class with fusions. Naturally, Jack remained unimpressed by their large penthouse, while Crow gawked over their wealth, though he somehow managed to keep to himself. As of now, Yusei had no idea where the two were; if he had to guess, Crow was in the kitchen, looking over the refrigerator, his motherly instincts taking over, while Jack was in the bathroom, trying to, once again, impress Leo with whatever fabulous stunt he was going to pull.

He closed his eyes then, the fatigue wearing him down. Maybe Crow did have a point; he hadn't had any sleep for the past few days. If he didn't rest soon, the deprivation will start affecting his dueling, or driving, whichever came first. What good was the new engine if he couldn't even use it?

The bodies appeared before him.

And at an instant, he was awake.

It's strange; he'd been like this for a while now. Whenever he tried sleeping, or resting, for that matter, the corpses would simply reappear again, right in front of him. At first, he couldn't bear to face them. He just kept telling himself that it was just some nightmare that'd go away, some delusion that'd soon disappear on its own. No, he wasn't psychotic, and he certainly wasn't mentally ill, or at least, he didn't think so. He couldn't really afford a doctor to examine him either.

But after a while, he started getting used to seeing their faces. Initially, he couldn't handle all the blood and gore and glassy eyes, so he contented himself with seeing their silhouettes. He could manage making out their hazy shadows in the midst of that darkness, the dried crimson splattered all over the floor. Then, when a few more days passed, he started peering down at their faces. That disgusted, revolting pain in the pit of his stomach ceased to bother him, and it was then did he see the corpses.

Children.

"Yusei!" Leo screamed.

He jolted up. He scanned the room automatically, then shot a tired smile at the boy. Before he could say anything, Leo rushed over, the remote in hand, and pointed to the TV. "Look! Look look look! It's _Rob Cole_!"

Luna stared at her brother, an annoyed frown plastered on her face. "Leo, he doesn't even know who that is."

"Sure he does! _Everyone_ at school does!"

"Yusei doesn't _go_ to our school, remember?"

Yusei stared at them, then looked up at the TV screen. That's right; Jack was just talking about this the other day. Apparently, it was this really big premiere, and everyone who was anyone had to go to in order to be respected, whether that be by duelists, or actresses, or even just a kid, who admired the grandiose world around them. As far as Yusei knew, no one in Neo Domino missed an event like this.

Huh, it looks like people were actually _expecting_ him to attend.

"Hey Yusei," Leo suddenly piped. "Why aren't you there with everyone else?"

"I'm a little tired," he said easily. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Crow coming from the kitchen, the smell of ramen diffusing through the air. "Besides, it's not my kind of thing."

"Are you kidding?!" he burst. " _Rob Cole's_ there! With everyone else! And you're, like, the King of _Turbo Dueling._ You know what? Luna and I will help you get there. It's fine; you can just go like that."

"Leo, it's already started," Luna murmured embarrassingly. "Besides, we invited him here, remember?"

Yusei closed his eyes once again, the children slowly coming back to him as they always do. This time, he wasn't going to look away; he just had to sit here for a while, and wait until he fell asleep. They'll be gone by the time he woke up; they always did.

One minute passed.

Then two.

Then three.

And finally, a scream.

His eyes shot open.

He saw Crow standing beside him his eyes wide with shock, his mouth slightly agape. He saw the twins standing there, the humorous atmosphere around them vanishing in a split second. All three were frozen in place, trying to make sense of whatever was going on in front of them. And soon, Yusei followed their gazes.

There was a body on the red carpet.

* * *

 _Aileen Lincoln, age 35._

The night air calmly came around her, the very essence of sophistication embedded within the crowds gathered outside the glass buildings. The clear glass reflected the harvest moonlight, giving the party a more enchanting appearance, as one by one, the reporters arrived, ready for their stories. The bright, white-hot spotlights filled the darkness with artificial light, the loud raucous of voices replacing the normally empty void night brings. White poster boards detailed the celebrities showing up at the shoot, as well as upcoming movies all ready for their debut.

 _Fawn Misserson, age 42._

Glamorous celebrities gathered around the red carpets, some smiling amiably at one another, others with tension flying between each other, and even still, old acquaintances no one had seen for the longest time. Velvet dresses and tuxedos contrasted lovingly with each other, creating a shimmering paradise street urchins wouldn't dare come to. Friendships and rivalries were laid out for the reporters to see, the drama already enveloping around the crowds.

 _Shamsul Thomas, age 66._

Angela stared at her targets, all of whom were sashaying towards their adoring fans, adoringly stepping on the red carpet as they did so. Recent idols started posing for the cameras, while the others silently moved along, answering certain questions as they did, all the while avoiding interrogations from other more unsavory fans. Reporters clung to the railing, trying to shove their microphones into their faces, risking everything from ruining their own, stunning outfits, to getting sued. Though they appeared to be little more than rabid animals, in actuality, Angela was about to join them. She gripped her own microphone tightly, took a deep breath, and proceeded to pry her colleagues out of her way, when she tripped over her own dress.

 _Samuel Adams, age 33._

She barely managed to catch herself. She paused for a moment, then kept on with her task, the all so clearly in view. She smoothed out her red dress, and looked out at the fans again, spotting so many familiar faces nearby. She squinted her eyes, trying to catch yet another glimpse of the celebrities, the enthusiastic atmosphere seemingly draped around her in all its finery.

 _Vlad Dalca, age 28._

She held herself then, as she started waving her hand around. Bright flashes encircled around her, her own cameraman endeavoring to get a few pictures for tomorrow's issue. "Over here!" she shouted fanatically.

 _Yuqi Jin, age 53._

There was one young model who looked at Angela's way, and smiled. She was wearing a light blue dress, one with white ruffles all over the hems. Two pink ribbons decorated the sides of her head, with a single, white rose toward the back to complete the look. She also had such a cute, cherubic face; blond-haired, blue-eyed, with full pink lips, something that made Angela wonder if the girl really was innocent as she seemed. So the woman straightened herself, and started walking toward her, determined to squeeze a story out of the young girl.

 _Laurel Blackwell, age 41._

She froze.

"Ma'am?"

Angela snapped awake, as she stared down at the girl.

 _Fatima Islam, age 36._

The youngest model in the season; a child prodigy who would be debuting in an upcoming film; a famous star who could easily claim to be on of the most powerful people in the world. She could influence practically anyone, and though no one dared cover her personal life, Angela made sure she would've.

 _Thuy Vo, age 72._

But she couldn't say anything.

 _Tin Ngo, age 58._

Her lips were starting to get dry.

The young girl tugged at her wrist. "Ma'am?" she called out again. "Are you okay? Hey, you wanna come with me for a sec?"

Angela looked up.

 _Cynthia Johnson, age 47._

There was another model standing in front of her. A dark skinned, raven-haired beauty, whose elegant, emerald dress tightly fitted around her delicate body. It seemed she was inviting the reporter too, to come with the rest of the models for a bit.

 _Jerald Smith, age 55._

For some reason, Angela started shaking her head.

 _Reginald Feng, age 49._

And yet still, the model kept calling out to her.

 _Stephan Nickelson, age 56._

 _Rosenwald Joensen, age 31._

 _Arnold Cross, age 43._

 _Cardiac arrest._

 _Cardiac arrest._

 _Cardiac arrest._

There was a loud crash from up above.

As the reporters scrambled out of the way, the models screaming out in horror, their agents shoving them back into their cars, Angela remained where she was, her mind replaying the victims' names over and over and over again. Pictures upon pictures kept showing up in her eyes, as she stared at the chaos around her, the pitiful shouts, the cries, the tears streaming for a stranger no one even knew. Angela stared down at the girl, who had been swept away from her then, no doubt by a protective fan, however perverted they might've been. She stared ahead, at the models, at the people she was supposed to interview, at her fellow peers, who were now racing away from the scene altogether.

She stared at the body, with the names of the victims racing through her brain.

* * *

Jaden sprawled out the articles onto the white carpet, his fingers lingering near the photos. Dozens of smiles gazed up at him, the innocence upon their faces so clear he couldn't help but wonder if they were still alive somewhere, supposedly held hostage by a madman. The biographies of each of the victims lay beneath the photos, along with whatever notes Ms. Raines managed to make before she stopped caring. He squinted at her delicate handwriting for a while, before shrugging and brushing it aside, making room for the plentiful ideas he was ready to write down.

Next to him was Alexis, who scanned over the articles with wide, curious eyes. She hugged her legs against her chest, as her eyes followed the tiny words from paragraph to paragraph. Sometimes, she'd have a small frown on her lips, while other times, a familiar spark erupted from her stare, a connection that might've helped them with the case. She sat there, hunched over, rereading the text, trying to find the relationship between the murders, aside from the obvious fact they were all powerful politicians.

They were both in Alexis's apartment for the time being. It was small, comfortable, with nothing but soft pink splattered all over the walls. There was an oversized, stuff bear sitting on the pale covers of her bed, a bear that always looked at her with the same, blank stare. The dolls sitting on her bookshelf were also incredibly eerie, their stitched on smiles little more than a distraction to their glassy eyes. Some of the dolls, Jaden had made himself, but for the rest, Alexis bought them on her own. A small, black dollhouse sat in the back of the room, with tiny, paper inhabitants standing there, waiting for their mistress to return.

As far as Jaden could remember, Alexis lived alone. No family, no relations, only a single, large income to keep her financially well-off. The city paid monthly installments to her, from a portion of an inheritance she wouldn't fully receive until she was 21. Though he found the explanation hard to believe, in the end, he decided that he didn't need to know; it was her business, wasn't it? And besides, it wasn't like she was horrible at managing it. She used that money to pay her tuition for Duel Academy, as well as her living expenses. Even when she was recklessly spending it for some cursed doll she saw online, or a creepy storybook she thought would be cool to have, she always had more than enough.

Perhaps that was why he was initially so attracted to her. Like Alexis, Jaden had a large income every month coming in and, like Alexis, the city managed it for him. That the money was a part of a large inheritance, and that he had to wait until he was a certain age to get the rest. No family, no relations, nothing at all to tell him where the money was from, where it'd be going. Who knows? Maybe that's why he hated the government so much.

He sighed then, as he sat back, brushing aside the confusing memory altogether. He picked up one photograph and held it up to Alexis. She stared down at it for a while, before grabbing it with both hands. "He seems familiar."

"Arnold Cross," Jaden explained. "He was one of Goodwin's supporters."

"He was the Director's representative, wasn't he?"

"That's right."

She cocked her head then, before setting the picture down. "No."

"Hmm?"

"It's more than that," she muttered. "I feel like I've seen these people before. Like, I've really _seen_ them in real life. Not just on some TV screen."

Jaden's eye twitched, before returning to the politicians staring up at him. "They were all connected to Goodwin, weren't they?"

"Yeah."

"And it was Goodwin who gave them their positions."

"He was like their boss or something, right?"

He nodded hesitantly. "They didn't have a lot of deep connections with the government in Neo Domino, so they relied on Goodwin for protection. When the Director disappeared, you could guess what'd happened."

"Did they know what they were doing?"

"…I don't think so. For Goodwin to just…leave, and for them to fall out of favor with the city, just like that…"

Alexis nodded understandably, then turned back to the photographs. "They were good politicians though, right? Aside from the drift between the Satellite and Neo Domino-"

"I'm not sure. They probably just went with majority support, I guess."

The two began combing through the files then, trying to find any other connection between the two, aside from Goodwin. So far, wild conspiracy theories kept popping up in Jaden's head, theories only the general public could come up with, theories that, as far as he was concerned, only served to frustrate him more. By now, everyone's come to the same conclusion; the victims' backstories weren't anything special, and though they had their fair share of enemies, that list vanished the moment Goodwin was declared missing. To want to kill a group of people who possessed no power, no influence, who posed no threat whatsoever, was a stupid move, to say the least.

"Lex."

"Right," the blonde answered automatically. "So far, there've been fourteen deaths, all of whom were involved with Goodwin. Since the administration tended to go with majority rules, we don't know if there was actually any corruption whatsoever. And since everyone loved Goodwin, along with the fact that he ran the city efficiently and rooted _out_ said corruption, there isn't a lot to go off on with illegal stuff. Backstories, same. Family and friends, all crying their hearts out."

"That's it?"

"Jay-"

"I know," he whispered quietly, as he scratched the back of his head. He furrowed his eyebrows, regarding the files with the same intensity he had when he took them. He'd already tried the hospitals, but they weren't letting him near their medical records. He hadn't heard anything from Ms. Raines either, but since she was a little too eager to push the case onto him, he could safely say he no longer had a mentor, or an internship, for that matter. Most of the families were too hard to contact, and the ones he did manage to speak with told him to mind his own business.

So of course, that got him absolutely nowhere.

That left the funeral homes, where the bodies were supposedly held. But that was tricky, since everyone was going to be there. It'd be hard to steal a peek at the victims themselves, and even harder to determine how they died. The doctors all say cardiac arrest, and, as of now, Jaden was starting to believe that.

But the connections were so uncanny…

"Jaden?"

He looked up. "Hmm?"

There she was, talking in his cellphone without the slightest hesitation. She kept nodding, kept doing everything she should, if only to show the people around her that she was actually listening. Jaden was about to dismiss the call completely, and return to analyzing the files, when he felt a small tap on his wrist. When he came back to her, there was a serious frown on Alexis's face.

"Yeah, he's here," she continued, as she cast an uncertain glance toward him. "He was just working on it. You wanna talk with-? Oh. Oh, okay." With that, she snapped the phone shut, and turned to Jaden. "That was Ms. Raines."

He snorted "C'mon, let's get back to this-"

Alexis shook her head, and grabbed his hand. "She really wants you to come in tomorrow."

"I'm not getting her coffee again-"

"She says she wants to work with you on the case," Alexis murmured enthusiastically. "She's got a lot of information she wants to show you too."

"…Really."

"Really!"

"This isn't because I was a total douche." Jaden said aimlessly, as he picked up an article and held it up to its face. Police still haven't been able to find anything new…

"No," Alexis answered calmly, "even though you can be. Ms. Raines wanted you to come in as soon as possible. She thinks she might have some leads for this."

"I should believe her…why?"

"C'mon Jaden. You've wanted this case for like…forever! Now you're getting a chance to solve it with a top reporter! Stop being such a pussy."

He only stared at her.

"What?"

"Our 'top reporter' is a woman who has absolutely no idea what she's doing when it comes to real life."

"So?"

"We're doing just fine on our own."

"We need someone!" Alexis countered, as she threw both her arms around his neck, messing up the neat piles Jaden had made in for the last ten minutes. "No one's gonna listen to a couple of teenager!."

"That's their problem," he replied stubbornly, as he turned away from her.

"Even if it's Ms. Raines, we still have to take it! And besides, having _her_ is better than having nothing, right?"

Though Jaden couldn't bring himself to admit it, he agreed.

Nor could he admit the fact that, at the very least, Ms. Raines was an adult.


	7. Chapter 7

"I want you to look at these photographs Sayer," Ms. Amrbosine said softly, as she slid the pictures toward the man. He leaned over tiredly, taking only a few seconds to skim over the photos, before straightening himself, and calling out their names. Dark shadows nestled underneath his eyes, along with age-old wrinkles he hadn't known had existed. As he scanned over the photographs, the last of the names falling from his lips, he couldn't help but close his eyes then.

"Right," she said demurely, forcing him to look at her once more. "And I take it you know these men from somewhere…?"

"The Arcadia Movement's sponsors," he answered, as he remembered the cruel gleam her icy pupils bestowed upon him just hours before. He fought the urge to tremble, and continued on with his emotionless facade; as of this point, it was the only thing he could do. Opportunities for advancement might come up once in a while, but until then, this was all there was to it. "Under Goodwin's encouragement, they supported the Movement with money, power, and influence."

"Ah." She stole a glance at the politicians smiling faces, before removing them from the table altogether and stuffing them back in that same, white envelop. "Can you tell me what some of them did? You know, what they were capable of?"

"What'd you mean?"

"How deep were their connections, in other words?"

He thought for a moment, recalling the same, complex lies he told nearly everyone, the lies he refused to touch, for fear he might accidentally unravel them. He then regarded Ms. Amrbosine evenly. "Very deep. There wasn't a single they couldn't do, not a single being they couldn't conquer. As far as I knew, they expanded all over the city, and into other countries as well, though I'm not sure where.

"As long as they were under Goodwin, of course."

"That's right."

She huffed, before returning to the remaining files on her desk. "They weren't under the Director's supervision."

Sayer stared at her incredulously, the doubts immediately swarming back into his mind. "There was no one else who could control them, aside from me," he explained. "Or Goodwin, for that matter. Though he was a liar ad a cheat, he was certainly good at it. HIs ability to manipulate people to his own benefit came in handy."

"As long as they were being compensated, right?"

"Isn't that how it works?"

"But that's just it," Ms. Amrbosine stated confidently. "Although these officials were working for Goodwin, not a single record showed them gaining any benefit from him. Remember, Goodwin was the head of the Security Bureau, and though he did have some political influence, in the end it wasn't enough to sabotage any politician. In fact, in the face of everyone here, it seems he was the most helpless."

Sayer narrowed his eyes. "But he was _your_ Director, wasn't he?"

"He was but a small pawn in the grand scheme of things. Just because he was the Director didn't mean he knew everything. For example, the fact that the Crimson Dragon would be in the hands of a bunch of misfits, or us, for the matter."

Sayer examined her, trying to find the slightest hints that she might've been lying. Though he failed over and over again, he still kept up with his assumptions, and continued. "And who might _you_ be?"

She smiled. "No one, and everyone. In a way, just as Director Goodwin, you could also say we're fallen."

Sayer's lips parted. Again, he looked down at the papers. He tried scanning through their contents, tried doing everything he could to prove his past paranoia right. He kept replaying the moments between he and Goodwin over and over again, finding even the slightest inconsistencies between Ms. Amrbosine's story and his own. But there were none, so he could only stand there, dumbfounded. "What-?"

"The city was so focused on Goodwin, simply because of the Satellite, or rather, what used to be the Satellite," Ms. Amrbosine replied. "People didn't feel safe, so naturally, they turned to the police for security. Eventually, Neo Domino was taken over by the Public Safety Bureau, and soon, all eyes were on Goodwin. In spite of the fact that everyone depended on his leadership, he had practically no influence on the political battlefield. He paled in comparison to other people; for example, the Black Rose's father, the _senator."_

Sayer glowered at her. "I've already thought of that."

"What?" she pressed, as she leaned back in her seat. "Were you planning on using the Black Rose to get in touch with her father? To get even more support for the Arcadia Movement? Spare me the details; I already know."

"What're you-?"

"Even with the senator's help, you wouldn't have gotten anywhere. You could say the reason why you're still standing, is because the senator chose not to do anything to you. If he wanted to, not only could he destroy the entire Arcadia Movement, but he could also place _you_ under arrest for "kidnapping" his daughter."

"Akiza came on her own-"

"And that alone would make you look bad," she continued, ignoring his flowering eyes. "And since the senator had a majority of the city on his side, along with his reputable image, I don't think you could do anything about it. No one would believe you; everyone would just say that they were lying. Perhaps the only reason Senator Izinski chose not to press charges was because he didn't want to alienate his precious daughter, anymore than he already had."

Sayer clenched his fists. This… _woman…_ was just sitting here, undermining him. She was breaking open scandals only Sayer should know about, saying choice words that even doubted his own credibility. If anything, probably the only reason why she got him out of prison to begin with, was to mock him. "Then why am I here?" he asked finally.

"To get to Yusei Fudo."

"I've absolutely _no idea-"_

"You really are so very impatient, aren't you?" Ms. Amrbosine asked suddenly. "No wonder why you lost control of the organization. If anything, you should be _thanking_ the Dark Signers for taking you down like that when they did. They saved you from the embarrassment from losing your entire club in one. Little. Stroke."

"Amrbosine-"

"Anyways," she interrupted, "I'm sure you've heard the news right?"

He paused for a moment, before nodding reluctantly. "That most of everyone on that list is dead, correct?"

"Correct. The reason why I ask you is because your sponsors are all connected to one single source. A political source, I can assure you that Goodwin isn't it."

Sayer narrowed his eyes. "Does it matter where the money came from?"

"Yes," she murmured quietly. "It does."

His lips parted, as the silence came around between the two. That same, blank expression grazed her face, all the while his frustration built up in his thoughts, trying to decipher it. Then, at that one, single moment, he froze.

"No," was all he said.

"We have proof-"

"That _Satellite,"_ he sneered, "doesn't even have the _means_ to get out of his own filth. How could he support an entire organization, when he couldn't avoid Sector Security? If this is a joke, Ms. Amrbosine-"

"It's not."

"It isn't _funny."_

Her eyes darkened, and immediately, Sayer closed his mouth. She regarded him for a while, before sitting up. "Normally, yes, that would be the case. Yusei Fudo was just an orphan, after all, who had no real parents, no real family. Though he was a talented duelist and engineer, he had a hard life, with only brief, fickle friends to rely on. Even now, after he's won the Fortune Cup, after he's defeated the Dark signers, he's still struggling to make ends meet. Well, along with Jack Atlas, of course."

"If you know that much, then why-?"

"When your organization first started, Sayer, we've kept a close eye on you," she stated quietly, as she placed her hands neatly on her lap. "From what we could understand, the Arcadia Movement had always been small, a close-knit group with relatively little standing in the real world. According to _your_ records, when Akiza Izinski joined, suddenly, you gained a huge influx of support for your organization. You were able to expand nationally, to the point where you could even lobby some of the politicians to help benefit the Movement. The senator, as you know, had nothing to do with your group. And aside from Akiza, no one else in your group exercised enough power to help support your cause."

Sayer folded his arms across his chest. "I don't see how any of that has to do with Yusei."

"As of this point, all our evidence is circumstantial," Ms. Amrbosine said finally. "That's why I would like for you to do a little assignment for us."

He narrowed his eyes. "Is this 'evidence' really all that?"

"It is."

Sayer tensed, the defining quiet, once again, pouring into the room. "And what will you do, after I finish your dirty work?"

"That depends on your results."

He fought down a scowl. "What am I supposed to do?"

The frown instantly faded from her face, the seriousness replaced by a slow, merciless smile, one devoid of any emotion or thought. "We've secured your deck from the station," she explained. "Use it to confront Mr. Fudo. Understand?"

Sayer stared at her, the memories replaying in his mind. If it wasn't for Yusei, Akiza probably would never have left the Arcadia Movement. Though he might not have been able to secure the senator's cooperation, at the very least he could've used her to build up his psychic army. He could've used it to take over the world, from politics, to economics, to warfare; in society, outcasts would reign supreme, and people would've treated the monsters they've so hated with fear. There wouldn't have been any problem at all, if not for the fact that that one little Satellite had to come in and ruin everything.

But there were more people on his list to blame, the dormant grudges he held from prison only beginning to resurface. There were the Dark Signers, who tore him down the moment he tried fighting back. There were his former members, who chose to abandon him the moment he was arrested. There were the people who mocked and tormented him, for having the special powers everyone else wanted. He could feel himself swell with pride, as he imagined everyone who'd ever wronged him bowing before him, begging for forgiveness, asking him to spare them, though their efforts were in vain.

Yet even then, he didn't allow his emotions to take over.

His eyes flickered to Ms. Amrbosine, who waited for his answer. What was this woman's game anyways? That Goodwin had little to do with the city, that the politicians he blackmailed were actually taking orders from a higher power? That Yusei had been involved with the Arcadia Movement from the start? A Satellite, who couldn't even afford to have even the most wasted future in Neo Domino? What'd her organization want with Yusei anyways, and, how did Sayer, of all people, fit into it? What was she using him for? What result did she want from him?

Despite all that, one detail stuck out, amongst all others. "You're right," he said. "When Akiza joined, we started getting an increase in revenue."

She nodded. "That's right."

"And it had something to do with Yusei, correct?"

"It _is."_

"How then?" he pressed. "Before the Fortune Cup, Akiza never knew Yusei. That much I know."

"Well, like I said. We've evidence, but we just need you to confirm one little thing for us."

"And you can't share any of the evidence with me?"

"That's right."

His eyes flickered down to that white envelop. "And why is that?"

"Clearly, you've no idea how much of a target you've become," Ms. Amrbosine answered saccharinely. "The less you know, the better off you'd be."

He snorted. "Some logic."

"You've used the same thinking with the Black Rose."

He stared at her for the longest time, endeavoring to reveal whatever hidden meanings were behind that single sentence. When he failed, he simply closed his eyes, and resigned to his task. "So," he began, "do you want me to duel him?"

"No; you'd make too much of a scene."

"Then what-?"

"Get him alone, then attack," she ordered. "When you've seen what you've seen, I want you to come back, and tell me."

"And what _exactly_ am I supposed to see?"

"Believe me, you'll know."

He bit his lip, as he began seeing through the game, bit by bit. "You don't want the Black Rose to find out, do you?"

"My, you learn fast."

* * *

The busy stores kept calling in more and more customers, as the stream of bodies flowed from one business to the next. Light, velvet curtains pooled out from store windows, and bright, colorful banners flowed throughout the air, desperately trying to get the attention of the tens of thousands of people here. The skylights up ahead gave way to the same warm air Akiza had grown so very comfortable with. The distant cafes off to the side gave off their pleasant aromas, and for a moment, she was tempted to walk over there, sit down, and enjoy something, anything. though in the end, she fought off the sweet illusion. Just below, she could see the amber skating rink, the balconies doing little to hide the playful embarrassment on the skaters' faces as they fell. She stared at them for a bit, before turning back to the dull activity just before her.

Both arms were comfortably at her side, motionlessly in place, as she moved up in the line, her bangs sweeping across her cheek. Carefully, she peeked out at the people standing in front of her, and the people behind, before finally settling back in her place. She looked up at the ceiling then, a bored expression so very evident on her face. Dull lights sparked her golden orbs, and the only time it cleared, was when the line started to move. She kept clenching and unclenching her fists, if only to feel the tension her black gloves held along the lines of her palms, but of course, not even that could assuage her boredom.

Just yesterday, her mother called. She told Akiza that she and her father will be back a bit late tonight, but she did manage to order Chinese for dinner tonight. The problem was that there was only one Chinese restaurant open at the time, and since they don't do deliveries, Akiza had to get it herself. Though Akiza was sure it'd be delicious, she didn't understand why they couldn't just order someplace else. Her mother only laughed at the excuse, telling her daughter it was "simply because."

She heaved a heavy, frustrated sigh, as the line moved on. Her thoughts began wandering once more, as she recalled the strangeness the past few weeks left her.

Just a few days ago, that boy had disappeared. Whenever she slept, or went anywhere, he was always there, right beside her. Sometimes, he'd be waiting for her patiently, with those wide, dead holes of his. Other times, he'd be facing away from her, staring at a wall, or the floor, or the roof, or even an object that held absolutely no significance. Wherever she went, he did too, his footsteps echoing throughout her head. She didn't dare tell anyone else about him, knowing full well she'd sound crazy if she did. So she was careful not to let herself notice him for too long, totally brushing aside his existence as she kept on with her life.

Funny, how weird everything feels when things become normal again.

All the while, neither Jaden nor Alexis were returning her calls. Though Akiza could understand the two working on Jaden's internship (which, of course, she _didn't)_ , it was as if they were suddenly just too busy. On the other hand, the guys were preparing for the WRGP, and along with the fact that Leo and Luna were helping them prepare, she was just…alone. It didn't feel like anyone was avoiding her, or at least, she hoped not. But it was just a bit too quiet at her mansion. It didn't feel right to simply intrude into other peoples' business, especially Yusei's, and as of right now, school had always come first.

And yet, as she stared out at the faces around her, she couldn't help but feel like she'd missed something. Still, she knew she had to take her mind off of the notion. So she closed her eyes, and listened to the aimless words floating around her.

That's right; apparently, there'd been another death, a suicide this time, by someone who had never once been depressed. Yes, he died. No, they didn't think he was pushed off the balcony; he just fell. Maybe it was just an accident; maybe he got curious, and decided to look at the premiere from way up there. No, there wasn't anyone else with him; the cameras caught him walking in the building alone. Yeah, a family, a wife and three children. The wife will be fine on her own.

While this was happening, other conversations took place, the ones involving the recent murders. Once more, Akiza flickered her eyes towards those people, before turning away, the recognition flooding her face. Almost every official in Neo Domino was eliminated. The only connection was Goodwin, but why? What was the reason for it? Goodwin disappeared, didn't he, so what use was it to target the lackeys? Revenge, maybe? A little payback for everything those idiots did to the city? Anarchists?

And immediately, Akiza thought of Jaden.

She laughed softly at the though. Well, whoever it was, Akiza didn't really have much to do with it. As long as her own father was okay, nothing else mattered. Yes, it was sad those officials died, and yes, she hoped Mina and Trudge could catch the culprits, but in the end, it wasn't really her job. Besides, if she went up to the families right now, and told them how sorry she was, what good would it do? They'd probably just scream out her, and scream that she should just butt out. At the very least, that's what Akiza would do.

There was a light tap on her shoulder then.

Carefully, she turned around, and found a man standing there, with a pleasant smile on his face. With simplistic ease, she returned it. "Hi," she said.

"Sorry…but you're Akiza, right?"

"That's me."

"Akiza…from the Fortune Cup?"

"Right."

The man stared at her for a while. Before long, his eyes widened a bit, the smile growing wider and wider with each passing second. "W-wow," he managed. "That's…that's amazing. I mean, the way you dueled, and you had that guy on the ropes…! Seriously, I was pissed when you lost, but you know…you're just a really good duelist and…!"

Akiza nodded simply, as she moved up the line another inch. Huh; the cashier was still a long ways off. Did she remember to bring the receipt? "Thanks."

"Just…just _thanks?_ Are you _kidding?"_ the man pressed, causing her to turn back. "You were, like, awesome! Hey, can you do me a favor? Don't worry; you won't get out of line."

Akiza paused for a moment, trying to take in the man's sudden interest. "Sure," she finally said.

"Oh cool! Okay, so here's the thing; me and my friends are really into gardening, and since you use a plant-type deck, I was wondering if you could give me some advice on roses."

Sounded simple enough. "Okay."

"Right. So, there's this rose we can't seem to get rid of, a Christmas rose, the kind you see during the holidays."

She blinked. "Why're you trying to get rid of it? It's pretty enough as it is."

"Supposedly. But the thing is…we only want _roses._ The Christmas rose isn't really a rose, you know? And though it might not have thorns, it's actually _really_ poisonous, and we'd like to remove it as soon as possible."

"Well, I don't see why not," Akiza answered easily, as she moved yet another inch ahead. "If you have gloves, you can always yank it out."

"It's that easy?"

"Well yeah," she admitted sheepishly. "Still, I don't know why you'd need my help for it. You seem like you know what you're doing already, so…"

"But a rose is a rose, after all."

She stopped, then turned to stare up at him. "Yes," she agreed. "A rose is a rose."

"And for that stupid faker," he stated confidently, "all you have to do is yank it out."

Just then, she heard a loud explosion from the restaurant.

And along with it, terrified screams as bullets started reigning down.


	8. Chapter 8

Angela rapped the pen on her desk impatiently. She gazed out at the empty space in front of her, as she replayed the nightmarish scene in her head over and over again. She could remember the sharp crack resounding throughout the air, the panic that soon incited when the body was discovered. She could remember the models and actors and duelists scrambling out of the way, their agents determined not to let anymore of their artificial innocence vanish. She could remember how frantically everyone was trying to report, all the while endeavoring to get away from the body, trampling down other colleagues if only to try and escape the dreadful atmosphere. She could remember the security guards scouring all over that building, endeavoring to find the perpetrator, to determine what the connection was between this victim and all the rest.

Judging from what'd happened just last night, as well as the articles she's read this morning, it seems that now, the entire city was in panic. Yet another politician had died, this time on screen, and people were beginning to demand some sort of explanation. They kept asking why this was happening, what their society did to piss a madman off. Some were already going to Sector Security, trying to get some sort of protection for their friends and family. Others, in the meantime, were busy interrogating the families, asking what they knew of the incident. The whole thing was uncalled for, but in the end, it was the only thing the public knew how to do, aside from rioting.

And it didn't stop there. The entire ordeal brought up civil issues as to how the Bureau was organized. With the recent conspiracy theories floating around, people were also asking if this was a planned public execution by the government. Many independent parties were signing petitions to restructure the system, while a few others demanded that the current officials step down immediately.

And yet, what stood out the most to the reporter, was that, unlike the last victims, this one had no connection to Goodwin.

It'd only been a few months ago when he took office actually. No connection to the criminal underground, no scandal to keep him down, nothing at all to stop him from attaining whatever position he wanted. Despite everything that's happened, he was perhaps the most noncontroversial candidate of them all, so much so people wondered if he had any enemies at all. Always humble, always friendly, and though there were a lot of people who thought him annoying, no one could hate him. His family life was seemingly perfect, and in the event that he did make a mistake, he always made up for it with a piece of legislation he slapped down in front of the office, one that satisfied everyone. And he was mature too, diplomatic, in a sense; he did everything as he was supposed to, but he always added his own flare to it. He was daring, risky, and, in Angela's opinion, handsome. Everyone loved him. He was the only one Angela refused to cause any trouble for, or even pry for information.

So why?

Why did he die?

The victims' names kept swirling in her mind, their faces becoming more and more pronounced with each passing day. Explanation upon explanation piled up in her thoughts. Automatically, she started scanning through them, trying to find the best way to sum up this whole mess. Perhaps it really was the work of a terrorist. Or maybe there was something scandalous going on in the criminal underbelly of the city, and Angela needed to start with the former Satellite areas. Perhaps she needed to turn away from the families, and steal the bodies from the funeral homes altogether, if only to get some answers as to what had happened before they died. Though her way might be a bit unorthodox, it was the only thing Angela could come up with for the moment.

The entire thing was so funny she could just throw up.

Her eyes flickered down to her cellphone. Lately, she'd been receiving so many updates from that kid, Yuki. He sent her everything he'd seen so far, from the notes he's made, to the analyses of each and every article about the topic he's come across, to even the newest ways of looking at things. It was a testament to how hard he actually worked, and although the updates have gotten slower over the last few days, it was more than Angela could've pulled off in a few months. It helped to know that the kid was interested in the case, and since he was taking initiative in writing and rewriting his observations over and over again, it was safe to say the reporter found a helper in him; wonderful almost. She respected his ability, to the point where she actually considered putting him down as the co-author of the article.

As she scrolled down Yuki's newest findings, some about the recent developments in the investigation, others about the victims' backstories, her mind kept returning to the recent murder.

No; according to her editor, she shouldn't call it a murder, since it didn't seem to fit with anything in the files.

"Label it a suicide," was what the editor stated.

Angela stared back down at her phone, reading through the countless number of articles she'd received just moments ago. As she kept on, her finger moving rapidly through the screen, her eyes scanning the words with the upmost certainty, she allowed her brain to continue its pointless wandering, jumping from one lead to the next.

Sector Security was leading the investigation, wasn't it? Goodwin used to lead them, and though rumors of scandals did leak to the public, somehow, Goodwin managed to put them down. Angela was never one to stay for old news, so like the rest, she left, searching for a newer, more exciting story to share with the world. Though everyone loved a good scandal every now and then, there came a time when those things just got old, and the public stopped paying attention. Perhaps it's because they knew politics was a dirty battle, and whenever someone got caught trying to play its rules, they all turned a blind eye. Maybe it's because everyone loved Goodwin, and no one wanted to believe he was just like the rest of the corrupted filth running the city. Though there was nothing that could've possibly separated him from the other officials, with the exception of Jack Atlas, he managed to maintain the public's affections. Angela was, one more than one occasion, suspicious, but eventually, she simply allowed her paranoia to die, and forced herself to focus on more relevant topics.

Despite all that, the reporter found herself returning to the topic at hand. Goodwin was definitely covering something up, but that was only for Atlas being from the Satellite. Besides that, there was nothing particularly noteworthy to take down.

But when she caught sight of one, single sentence, hidden deep in the report, she froze.

This was it.

 _This was her lead._

The phone rang, just a few seconds after.

She narrowed her eyes, screaming inwardly in frustration. She swiped up the phone up, and placed it against her ears. "Hello?" she demanded.

"…Ms. Raines?" a girl asked timidly.

"Yes? Who is this?"

"It's ah…it's Alexis. Jaden's friend."

Alexis…

The kid's friend.

For some reason, whenever Angela called Yuki, Alexis would always be there. As of this point, since Alexis seemed to be the mediator between the two, Angela had to accept the fact that the girl was working with Yuki and she. Personally, though Angela really didn't like the girl, in the end it was clear Yuki wasn't going to work at all unless Alexis was there with him. So, however reluctant the reporter was, she just had to accept the girl's presence.

And it was through that logic she managed to calm a bit. Angela leaned back in her seat, her restlessness beginning to fade from her system. "Right," she sighed. "What is it?"

"Um, Jaden says we'll be able to get a picture of the bodies. Tonight."

A curious light shown through her eyes. Questions started filling her mind, but no sooner had they appeared did Angela shut them down. "Do it then. Tell him I expect to see those pictures first thing tomorrow."

"Got it." And with that, Alexis hung up.

Angela breathed a deep, heavy sigh, before looking over the articles again. That was another thing about the two; somehow, they managed to get everything done, no matter how impossible it may seem. They were willing to go the lengths Angela wasn't, break any rule for the sake of the truth. As long as they kept their actions hidden, Angela wouldn't have told anyone about them, anyone at all. Besides, who knows? Maybe she could use them to get some leads on some other stories she's been following.

"ANGELA!"

She jolted, then looked up; the cameraman. "What is it?"

"Get out here! We've gotta go _now_!"

She narrowed her eyes. Slowly, she stood up and grabbed her microphone. "Why? What happened-?"

"Someone just hijacked LH Mall!"

She froze. "What?"

"It's true! It's the killers! The ones everyone's after!"

* * *

Bodies.

That was the first thing Akiza saw.

There were bodies scattered all over, twitching, crying out breathlessly, with that same, frightened light in their eyes. Warm tears fell from their still, glassy pupils, the red bleeding out from under them. Dark stains coated from their white, clean clothes, as the silence filled their lungs, the air eagerly escaping from them.

And she could only watch.

She could barely move.

She couldn't even _breathe._

"ON THE FLOOR!" one of them screamed.

She could feel someone gripping her tightly, their small hands trembling in horrifying fear. She blinked, before looking down.

A young boy, probably a few years younger than Leo. A boy, with wiry, brown hair, a freckled face, and big, dark eyes that reminded her of Alexis. Scrawny, small, unable to probably even fend for himself; he was probably waiting for his mother when the men attacked.

She could hear the people around her shaking, their quiet whimpers determined not to catch the attention of the men nearby. Fearful gazes stared out at the enemy, as the men grouped them all into a single cluster, just near the countertop for the restaurant. When the men had them sat on the floor, the same people could only curl up next to each other, unable and unwilling to move. Cold sweat dripped from their foreheads, the liveliness dying down, as the men came toward them. Akiza stared at the people around her, shocked by the situation. And before long, she joined those crowds, those same, tiny hands gently leading her to the floor.

There were bodies.

And there were the men.

As she gazed on them, their cold, callous eyes staring back at the crowds, she saw nothing reflected in their pupils, no color, no grey, nothing but black. Pale skins contrasted sharply to their black uniforms, the bruises beneath their eyes so incredibly similar to their dead eyes. They all glowered at the hostages, their arrogance taking form of a nightmarish sneer, which danced upon their lips. Rifles were strapped their backs, ready for anyone and anything, enthusiastically twitching, just waiting for the chance to blow someone away. Bald, with bright blue veins protruding from their skin, they were all so very unstable, those men. Akiza couldn't even look at them without shuddering.

But what caught her eye was the chokers on their necks. Made up of what appeared to be thin vines, the choker wrapped delicately around their throats, adorning them so sophisticatedly she couldn't believe she was looking at the same people. The chokers were all tied up neatly into one, single red rose, which was sitting toward the side of their necks. She stared at them for a while, then remembered the young boy, who was trembling at her side.

Then, the very same man who'd talked to her just minutes before, sauntered toward the front of the crowd. The same man, with that crimson rose straddled to his throat, who was covered in only black, stood in front of them, like it was nothing.

Automatically, Akiza looked down, and bit the inside of her cheek. She didn't bring her duel disk, and she didn't trust herself with her powers yet. From what she could see, all the men here had guns; whatever she did, they'd do it twice as fast. Who knows how many people have already died just from one simple mistake?

And yet, the man still came up, and smiled a casual smile at everyone.

He allowed the panicked crowds to quiet, his menacing aura slowly drifting from one corner of the area to the next. As soon as the last of the stragglers came, he breathed in a deep, melodic breath, and placed his arms behind his back. "Good afternoon," he said politely.

No one answered.

"Before I say anything more, I wouldn't recommend trying to escape. We've the whole building surrounded, and my little friends are keeping the police at bay. So you could say we're all at a standstill." He cast a brief gaze to the victims lying on the ground, then flickered his eyes toward the crowds, taking in their horrified expressions. After a few moments of quiet, he continued on. "I'm sure you're all wondering the same thing. But rest assured, everything will be fine; cooperate with us, then we'll let you go."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Now that that's out of the way, allow me to introduce myself," he said demurely, as he bowed to the crowd. "I am Jean Beaumont, knight to the Black Rose Coven, and a candidate to the title itself."

Coven.

Akiza just stared at him then. She could hear the whispers erupt from the people around her, their confusion marred by Akiza's familiarity. She looked down at her arm for a split moment, before fixing her attention on Jean. Any moment now; any moment her arm would glow. She knew for a fact that the power of the Crimson Dragon will help her out of this. "What're you talking about?" she demanded.

It was perhaps the first time the man really looked at her. He regarded her for a single, split second, before chuckling, and turning back to the crowds. "And in case you're all wondering, the young lady sitting here has nothing to do with us."

He looked out into the terrified hostages, as he took one step closer, his footsteps rebounding against the silence. "As to why we're here…well, that, for a simple fact, is obvious."

Blank gazes stared back at him.

"Come now; I know you're hiding him."

"What the _hell_?"

Jean flickered his eyes back to Akiza, who was now standing defiantly against the pressure. She could feel everyone's eyes boring her back, some in awe, others in shock. But nonetheless, they were all staring at her, watching, waiting. She took a deep breath, and regarded Jean evenly. "You killed nearly _half_ the people here, all just for one _person-"_

He cocked his head. "And what of it?"

She clenched her fists. She stole a quick look at the mark on her arm, before turning back. A bit more. Just a bit more time. "You're really okay with terrorizing all these people?!" Akiza continued.

"It doesn't have to be," Jean explained then. "As soon as we have this person, we'll be out of your hair in no time." He turned his gaze toward the bodies, and chuckled lightly. "We'll even help you with the cleanup."

It should be burning by now, that mark.

"Perhaps we should even start now; give me a trash bag, a few mops…"

There should be power, confidence.

"Girlie?"

That's what she felt, back when she fought the Dark Signers.

Akiza gritted her teeth. "You're _disgusting."_

Only quiet diffused throughout the air, but even then that didn't last long. "Let me make this perfectly clear," Jean stated, his icy tone resounding from the mall. "I am a very busy man. I don't have time to deal with little girlies who _can't keep their mouths shut."_

Then, from the corner of her eyes, she saw the guns aimed directly toward her.

"Now, I'll ask again. Where _is_ he?"

Again, only silence.

Then, a shot.

When Akiza looked down, she found the very same child, who was clinging onto her so desperately, now dead at her feet.

"Where. _Is. He?"_

Nothing.

Jean sighed, as he closed his eyes. Moments later, he reopened them again, this time, with a playful smirk on his face. "Come out, come out, Black Rose."

Just then, someone walked toward Jean, a man, who looked so very similar to him. He whispered something in the madman's ear. In the very same second, Jean nodded, before turning to Akiza, and asking that she come with him.

* * *

That old, grey building was surrounded by swarms of cars. Reporters from every station came, some reporting on the incidence with the utmost caution, others interrogating the police, trying to get someone, anyone to say something. Worried onlookers stared ahead, praying for their loved ones safety, all the while trying to keep from storming in. Security guards kept searching the exterior, trying to find a way in without being shot to death. Bright flashes from cameras gradually died out, as the seconds dragged on, the entertainment value overshadowed by concern. They were all holding their breaths, waiting to see what would happen next.

Yusei came to a screeching halt, narrowly dodging the plethora of cars situated towards the front. He thrust off his helmet, and jumped off, as he scanned the crowds, looking for Mina, or Trudge, or anyone else who might know anything. He saw Crow gripping the yellow police tape tightly, trying to keep himself from racing in and searching the mall. He saw Jack screaming at one of the officers, demanding that they let him pass. He saw Leo and Luna in silence, trying to look as brave as possible. He bit his lip, before rushing toward the police tape, unsure of whether or not he should join them.

Aki was in there.

 _And he couldn't do anything._

His phone rang then.

Yusei jolted, before shifting his gaze downward. Hurriedly, he took it out of his pocket, and stared at the caller ID.

Akiza.

Without thinking, he turned away from the crowds, pressed the phone against his ear, and waited. The words were stuck in his throat; his thoughts raced passed him, without the slightest clue of what was going on. Though he kept up his calm demeanor, in the end he could only stay silent.

"Yusei?"

He fought down a sigh of relief. "Aki," he murmured. Then he snapped back to attention, the seriousness of the problem barring down at him. "What's happening? Where are you?"

"Inside," she said slowly. "I…I'm inside the mall. They're letting me call someone."

"Just…just stay there. Do you have your deck with you? Can you do anything?"

"No. They're holding everyone at gunpoint right now. They're…they're _looking_ for someone, and they think he's here, with us."

"…Are they desperate?"

"Yeah."

Someone touched his shoulder.

Yusei turned back, only to find Trudge standing there, along with the others, staring worriedly at him. "Yusei," Trudge began.

"Akiza says they're holding everyone at gunpoint," he muttered breathlessly.

The man's eyes widened. Soon, the group came around Yusei, as they tried listening into Akiza's words.

Still, somehow, Trudge regained his demeanor, and after a few seconds later, he asked that they come with him.

And while they all asked the officer if Akiza was okay, if anything bad was happening inside the mall, Yusei never said anything.


	9. Chapter 9

Alexis bit her quivering lip, as she stared at the television screen. She gripped her tiny, white cup as she did, the cracks in the handle already apparent. Her leg bounced up and down nervously, as she tried to keep herself together, knowing full well what would happen had she burst out crying. Shadows embedded her eyes endearingly, as she kept on with her concerned gaze.

Jaden sat beside her, just a mere inch away. Both hands were placed on his knees, as he concentrated on whatever words the reporter was saying. Like Alexis, he was shaking, though with anger, rather than anxiety. He somehow managed to keep his composure, despite the frustrating fact that, as of this point, neither could do anything to help. The two looked on in the cafe, their cellphones in hand along with all the other customers, who had all ceased their chatter.

Police were all still scattered-brained. Sector Security couldn't even come near the mall without being gunned down from the inside. The crowds won't listen, and rather than stay back, they instead, decided to interfere with the situation, trying to get answers while endeavoring to stay safe. Even from here, everyone could feel the tension in the air, as they imagined the situation becoming more and more chaotic with each passing minute. Images of the public kept circulating throughout the hour. The two managed to catch Yusei's tired, worried face there, attempting to assess the situation, all the while trying to see if Sector Security was doing anything to help. It was perhaps all anyone can do now.

"Jaden."

Carefully, the boy stole a gaze at Alexis. She sat there, emotionlessly, though the distress remained deep within her eyes. Her long, white dress came to her legs, her hands still clutching that tiny cup. "What is it?" he asked.

"It's familiar."

"What is?"

"Everything."

Jaden stared at her for a while, then turned back.

The criminals were seen coming outside, if only to check and see how many officers there were, before going back in. Just then, their pictures were plastered up on the screen, for everyone to see. As the reporter droned on and on about the plausible conspiracies for their appearance, in the end, they simply tuned her out, and continued watching those pictures. To Jaden, they all looked the same; no difference existed between the beings. There wasn't a single detail that stuck out to him, nothing at all that called to his attention.

The dark, red rose on their necks, however, was a completely different manner.

He caught the arrogant smirks plastered on their faces.

He saw the thrill so very present in their eyes.

They were like sculpted demons, hovering over the edge of perfection.

It was familiar.

So very, very familiar.

* * *

Akiza heard the rustling sounds in the background, as she kept behind Jean, two of the men following closely behind, the gun barrel still pointed to the back of her head. The stench of iron reached her nostrils, and as they passed more bodies, Akiza was careful not to look down, for fear she might throw up. Iron coated the atmosphere, as she endeavored hiding her disgusted frown, fighting back the tears as she did.

Though somehow, she managed to push her emotions aside, in favor of the dire problem confronting her. Her eyes surveyed the mall carefully, the hijackers' shadows following her as she did. When she looked ahead, there were more men walking along the balconies, though less than she'd anticipated. As they moved down the corridors, there were fewer and fewer men, to the point that by the time they stopped, only two remained. Her gaze came back to Jean's back, as she waited for Yusei.

He was outside the mall, probably somewhere in the parking lot. She could hear everyone's worried voices in the background, trying to reach the phone and make sure she was safe. More than once she heard Jack's enraged voice, as well as Crow's stoic breath.

"What's wrong?" Jean asked haughtily. "Bad reception?"

"No," she murmured, remembering the boy who died before her. It was all she could do not to strangle the man now, knowing full what would happen if she did. Before long, she heard a quiet shuffle from the back, and finally, Yusei. "Aki?"

Quickly, Jean turned around, and backed away from Akiza. That same, cold sneer was plastered on his face, something she couldn't make disappear. "Right; here should be fine."

Akiza narrowed her eyes, as she, once again, stared up at the tiles on the roof.

Cameras.

"Are you done, girlie?" Jean asked then.

Her eyes flickered back toward the man. Automatically, she shook her head, as she began to answer Yusei. "I'm here," she said quietly. "Where are you?"

"With Trudge."

Trudge, huh?

Akiza pulled the phone away from her, all the while regarded Jean warily. "Why?"

"Ah, girlie catches on fast." he murmured delightfully, as he took the phone out from her grasp, his icy fingertips barely touching the palm of her hand. He stared at it for a moment, before taking it from her and putting up to his ears. "Hello?" he said. "Am I speaking with Mr. Yusei Fudo? Fortune Cup, right?"

In an instant, he fell quiet, his hushed voice seemingly fading from her eardrums. She tried taking a step closer, if only to hear what Jean was talking about, though the men grabbed her shoulders and forced her back. When she stayed where she was, they took their hands of her shoulders, and remained beside her.

Carefully, she scanned the corridors once again, examining every inch, trying to, at the very least, find a hiding place so they won't shoot her. Empty stores surrounded her helplessly, the doors easily reflecting back the men, who were, as of this point, staring blankly at the empty space in front of them. And through those reflections, she caught sight of her mark, which remained as it was. She stared at it for a while, before moving onto the other columns. There was no way she could avoid all of them.

But she was alone.

No sooner had the thought arrived did she shove it away. Jean was right here, in front of her. If she tried using her powers, he might be liable enough to annihilate all the hostages; he's already done it with the other people, so to him, what's a few more? His gang was practically at every corner of every shop, which was the reason why Sector Security was at a standstill with them.

Where could she go, if only to hide from this lunatic? Without anyone getting hurt?

Without more people dying?

Then, at an instant, something just…clicked.

Suddenly, she found the phone, right back to her face. "Here girlie," Jean said haplessly. "You can talk with your little boyfriend again."

Warily, she grabbed the phone, and placed it against her ear. "Hello?" was the first thing she heard.

"Yusei," she murmured quietly, "is he arrogant?"

A confused pause resounded from the other line. She could hear his slow, steady breathing, as he endeavored to make sense of her question. Soon, he answered. "Yes."

Jean, meanwhile, only laughed. "Arrogant; what a cruel word. I'd prefer the term seductive, tempestuous, conflicted, mysterious, lively…"

She stared up at the security cameras. Then, without thinking, she shifted her gaze toward one lone exit, off to the side, the one no one was guarding. Yes, it was probably locked, but she could fix that problem soon enough. And Trudge had the layout of the mall already there; Yusei would know where she was. "And you can see me too, can't you?"

Again, that same pause, though it was more determined. Akiza closed her eyes then, and turned away from the camera, the men barely noticing anything from her.

Finally, Yusei answered. "I can. Wait for a bit, alright?"

It was strange, how she felt at that moment. Neither helpless, nor vulnerable, nor scared; it was as if this was the most normal thing in the world. The Crimson Dragon, useless, her own mark labeling her as such, and yet, in the end, she was perfectly calm.

She would've waited.

She _should've_ waited.

"No," she said, as she stared up at the camera, carefully masking her own, cunning smile away from the man. It wasn't long before she closed her eyes, and snapped her phone shut, her eerie confidence easing into her system.

* * *

Trudge kneeled in front of the laptop, the small screen flickering towards the group with whatever power it had left. "We managed to take control of the mall's security system," he explained, his fingers flying across the keyboard. "And so far, things look pretty grim."

"Did anyone get hurt?" Crow asked.

"…The body count's pretty high." he answered hesitantly.

"These are bad guys we're dealing with," Leo stated then. "We gotta know what we're up against."

Trudge remained silent for sometime, before nodding reluctantly. "Right."

As the monitor flickered in the afternoon light, the group could see the nightmarish ordeal. There were faceless people lying there, in the hallway. Puddles of black adorned what used to be clean, glass windows, the remnants of flesh scattered everywhere along the corners of the walls. Dismemberment, missing organs, a few veins here and there, and with it, fresh crimson, all of which were splayed throughout the mall's once innocent appearance. Limbs were scattered away from their masters and mistresses, as the mangled bodies took on the appearance of something inhuman. It was all so very surreal, to the point where Yusei had to wonder if he was sleeping somewhere, those same, sorrowful dreams coming back to haunt him.

And yet, just a few feet away from them, were pale men surveyed the hallways, with bored expressions on their face. All had red roses on their throats, their dark uniforms contrasting sharply to the collar they seemed to cherish. They just stood there, beneath the cameras, as they played with the barrel of their guns. All the while, the hostages remained in the food courts, emptily staring down at the floors, trying to keep quiet as to not draw any attention toward themselves.

They all still had their cellphones.

He blinked. That was probably the reason why Akiza was able to contact everyone. It was also how Sector Security probably managed to find them so easily. Well, whoever they were, they must've been confident in what they were planning. It didn't seem the men took their jobs seriously either; though they were heavily armed, their dull faces told Yusei they were practically harmless. As long as the hostages did as they were told, the men wouldn't do anything else to them. They were lazy, slow, sloppy, almost. Still, he remembered the bodies lying near, and he tensed; more than likely they were following orders.

But where was she?

Where's Akiza?

His eyes scanned the monitors, trying to catch a glimpse of the duelist. After a few seconds of pointless wandering, his eyes finally settled on one, lone screen, toward the middle of the screen. He then leaned over. "Zoom in."

Trudge turned back to him. "Wha-?"

"Camera 6."

Trudge paused for a moment, then did so.

Yusei pressed the phone to his ear. "Aki?"

Meanwhile, Jack nudged Yusei out of the way, the utter shock upon his face. Crow had the very same stillness; Luna turned away, and Leo was trembling, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

Corpses.

Bullet shells.

Everything there, laid out for the world to see.

Yet when Yusei looked down, he could only focus on her face, Akiza's face, who was staring up at him, right then and there. She had one hand pressed to phone, the other to her side, as she watched her surroundings. "Where are you?" she asked.

Once again, his eyes flickered toward the security cameras. There were too many men on the outer skirts of the mall, about seven with the hostages. But for some reason, there were only two men with Akiza.

He narrowed his eyes; they should know who Akiza was. The famed Fortune Cup participant, as well as the senator's daughter; were they doing this for attention then? To try and shock the city with whatever torture they wanted to put her through?

He turned back to her. No duel disk, no deck, and only a hairpin to keep her powers stable. For some reason, her mark wasn't glowing, and frankly, neither were theirs.

What's going on?

"With Trudge," he answered finally. Immediately, the others looked up at him with hopeful, worried lights in their eyes. He returned their inquisitive stares reassuringly, before coming back to Akiza.

It looked like she was talking with someone. An emotionless scowl decorated her face, but even from a distance, he knew she was calm. She kept up her composure, then, to his surprise, she handed the phone to someone else in front of her. He brushed aside his friends' hushed tones, demanding why Akiza would do something like that, who it was she handed it to. He could feel their eyes boring his back, as he kept watching her dark orbs examining the mall, trying to find someway, any way, out of the ordeal. He gripped his phone tightly.

"Hello?" an unscrupulous voice said. "Am I speaking with Mr. Yusei Fudo?"

"You are."

"Fortune Cup, right?"

"Right."

"I see now!" the man squealed happily. "So you're an acquaintance of the girlie here? My, what a turn-around. You know, I was just admiring the way she dueled during the Fortune Cup, and how disappointing her loss was. Of course, I always knew she was a strong duelist, so if you could, perhaps you both could duel again-"

"Let her go," he growled.

The other line fell silent for a while. Before long, the man began chuckling, his snickers rebounding throughout the static air. "Now, now, settle down. My, you're just so impatient! Ever heard of the word? Patience? Opposite of inpatient, really-"

He clenched his fists. "I'm not in the mood."

"Then of course, what would I expect from Fallen? You're all so very immature; it's starting to get so very annoying."

"If you even _touch her-"_

"The Black Rose."

Yusei stopped. "Excuse me?"

"I'm sure your organization is already aware of the coven," the strange man murmured. All the while, Yusei stared down at Akiza, whose eyes finally settled on one, single door, offscreen. Yusei began searching the cameras once again, trying to find the very same door. Finally, he settled on one particular monitor. Automatically, he nudged Trudge away, as he came toward the laptop, clicking on yet another one aimlessly, the silence now coming around him with ease. "Look," Yusei hissed, "I don't know what the _hell_ you're talking about, but-"

"Don't play dumb," the man interrupted, the playfulness now gone from his tone. "I already saw the mark on the girlie's arms. You're with Fallen, aren't you?"

He clenched his fists. "What mark?"

"The mark on your arms, of course! Girlie has a claw, and how about you? How about the others? Ah, now that Goodwin's out of the way, nothing left to protect you from us, is that right?"

He fell silent.

"Got you, didn't I?" he gloated. "So listen, I only want to confirm something with you. Apparently, our leader is getting a lot of protection from you, isn't he? Why don't you go ahead and point him out to me, and we'll be on our merry way? Won't bother you again; you've my word."

"Yeah right."

"Smart!"

"Who are you?" he demanded, as he stared at the cameras, the bodies, once again, coming up on the monitors.

"Jean Beaumont," the man answered easily. "A loyal knight to the Black Rose Coven."

There was no way Yusei would get anything else from this man, aside from his own confusion. From the way he acted, it seemed he had some kind of grudge against Goodwin, something that had to do with the Signers. That was the only thing he knew really; Fallen, the Black Rose Coven…he didn't have a clue.

And yet, when he looked down at the screen once again, his own indecisiveness disappeared.

"I'm sure you are a reasonable man, Mr. Fudo," Jean continued. "You're sensible enough to know a threat when you see one, right?"

"Let me talk with Akiza."

Silence erupted over the phone. Before long, Jean huffed, and agreed, as he turned the phone over to the witch. "Hello?"

"Yusei," Akiza whispered, "is he arrogant?"

Arrogant…

Yusei didn't know _what_ Fallen was. He didn't know anything involving the whatever coven, nor did he understand anything of what else Goodwin was hiding. And yet, from the moment these… _creatures_ attacked, they thought Yusei, along with everyone else, knew what was going on. Jean Beaumont, most of all, believed he managed to destroy some enemy he thought was here, residing in normalcy. The man revealed so much over one, simple little conversation; maybe it was just out of sense of desperation, since he knew he wasn't getting anywhere with the hostages.

And judging from the bodies just lying around the mall, it would seem that, to Yusei, Jean had absolutely no idea what he was doing. With an attack like this, the goal was to leave as many people as you can alive; even one, single casualty would more than likely increase the likelihood that Security would just come storming in. How much of this footage was being leaked, however, was a mystery, though it'd seem Jean anticipated that Trudge would hack the system.

That's probably why he had Akiza stand in front of the cameras, to try and get their cooperation. It wasn't because he as trying to make her a public example; rather, it was to try and draw their attention. Perhaps the only reason why Jean allowed the hostages to keep their phones to begin with, to pressure Yusei and the others into doing something drastic. To bet on the Signers to give into primal instincts and storm in, taking everything by force on one hand, while juggling the safety of the hostages on the other.

Idiots.

"Yes," Yusei answered.

"And you can see me, can't you?"

Again, his eyes flickered toward the doors. From the corner of his eyes, he caught Trudge standing right behind him. With one finger, Yusei pointed out the doorway, and automatically, the officer nodded, his shoulders tensing at whatever assumption he was carrying. Yusei then turned back to the monitors, trying to make out Jean Beaumont, but failing in the process. Still, as Yusei flicked over the monitors bit by bit, it was clear that there weren't a lot of men from where Akiza was; three at most, including Jean.

Yusei's attention returned to the hostages, as one by one, more of the men started relaxing, their serious frowns melting away. Some were just talking with each other, while others began scaring the hostages, threatening to kill them in the most gruesome way possible, only to try and get a reaction from them. If they were as arrogant as their leader, and if something bad happens, the men would more than likely rush to Jean's side, rather than just kill the hostages.

Yusei nodded. "I can. Wait for a bit more, alright?"

It was then she looked up at the camera, a feral, confident light in her eyes. "No," was all she said, before shutting the phone.

He stared at the monitor, time passing from him easily. Finally, he sighed. Yusei turned back, and found Trudge standing there, arms folded, as he waited for Yusei.

"East side?" Trudge asked.

Yusei nodded. "Get all your officers there now."

"What're you gonna do?"

"Something stupid."


	10. Chapter 10

Angela pulled the microphone to her lips, as she stared at the camera. She ignored the panicked crowds around her, and concentrated only on her invisible audience, who was seemingly watching her from afar. She opened her lips, and began talking, her calm demeanor surprising even her. She couldn't even hear what she was saying, at that time. She felt her mouth moving, to the rhythmic sounds of the chaos, the heartbeats around her shattering the peaceful illusion everyone held onto for that day.

The deafening roars.

The howling wails.

The cascading tears.

The families gathering around.

And then, gunshots.

Angela stopped, and turned, to find those grieving families now running, screeching at the top of their lungs. Flurries of shapes passed her, drowning out whatever pleas there were to stay, to give the bastards what they deserved. Large, feral eyes raced to safety, all the while more and more of the same people fell, from the bullets, from tripping and being trampled on, the tiny drops of scarlet falling away from them, so very easily. It didn't take long for her cameraman to join them, his own instincts taking over at the last second. Angela stared at the scenes around her, seemingly mesmerized by the devastation around her.

She should be running too, shouldn't she?

And yet, she couldn't. She just kept standing there, shapes passing her in their own moments, the despair on their faces memorable, no doubt thinking that this might be the last moment they ever breathe. And in those precious seconds, she gripped the microphone tightly, perhaps the only thing to anchor her there. People were getting shot, left and right, almost everyone left behind writhing in pain, the bruises covering their limbs splayed across their skin. Someone was crying, from what she remembered.

Then, she saw them.

The murderers.

They were all the same, with that cruel, cold gleam in their eyes. Pale skin, all black, with a single, red rose strapped to their throats.

She'd seen them before.

* * *

Akiza could feel the pull of their bodies against her mind, as she flung the two men away from her. Hurriedly, she raced toward Jean, and before she knew it, her hands were on the gun. She clenched her teeth, then swiped it away, the trigger so delicately held in her fingers. She kept the men behind her away, as she hurried toward the door, practically seeing Security making their way towards her. She turned back, and kept the gun barrel trained on a pale Jean, while the other hand began unlocking the door. She then creaked it open, and automatically, the sounds poured from the outside.

Gun shots.

Screaming.

"What the _hell did you do?!"_ she suddenly screamed.

But she couldn't get anything from Jean. He could only sit there, the confidence immediately fading from his eyes, as he watched the nightmare unfold before him.

Lost eyes, the light slowly returning to his pupils, the vaguest notion of humanity coming back to him. She could see him there, trembling, wondering just what'd happened, what was going on, the questions swirling in the back of his brain. Whatever vanity he carried before instantly disappeared, leaving him little more than a cold shell he could afford to lose, especially at this time.

She clutched the gun then, and without thinking, thrust her power toward the men who were still struggling to get up. She threw them away, taking no notice of the loud cracks resounding through the air as she opened the door widely. From the corner of her eyes, she could see the officers in the distance, guns ready, shields up. When she turned back, she saw the other men running to them, the desperation already evident on their faces. They were dragging their rifles toward her, shouting incoherent gibberish that she couldn't understand.

'I…I…" Jean began sputtering. He took a deep, shaky breath, and tried standing. And yet, his knees were shaking so much he collapsed, unable to move, all the while unbelieving of the situation around him. "I…I didn't…w-what-?"

She was about to say something, but decided against it, and walked away from the door. When she looked up, there were more men there, the confusion written all over their faces as they pointed their guns toward Akiza. Some were shaking as badly as Jean, while others were calm, murmuring words of encouragement to their comrades. It was as if they were trying to pass it all off as some bad dream, that their idol wasn't just sitting there, endeavoring to pretend none of this was happening.

It won't be long before Sector Security arrives, and Yusei and the others with them. From the people standing here right now, as she expected, the hostages are going to be left alone. That was all she could comprehend. As she fumbled with her phone, surveying the men carefully, she felt her own power moving whomever was in her way, making them disappear from her sight without the slightest of effort. She paid no attention to their screams, none at all to their pleas.

There was a stinging pain from her cheek. She moved her fingers toward the mark, feeling the crimson fall down her cheek. It was then she looked up, the Crimson Dragon no longer in her mind. Her phone dropped from her pockets, and with both hands, she started to attack.

As she flung the men away from her, the rifles seemingly disappearing from their grasp, her vision became hazier and hazier. She imagined their bodies in the air, driving them wherever she wanted them to go. A sadistic smile cradled her lips, as she played with them, all the while never taking her eyes off the man still sitting there, watching as she broke those newfound toys. Spines cracking, bones destroyed, organs flying everywhere…

She narrowed her eyes, the frustration building and building inside her brain. This wasn't supposed to happen; unless Jean had given the orders beforehand, or was even smart to begin with, everyone should've gotten out safely.

Someone else had taken over.

And then, all of a sudden, she was forced down.

She could hear something break, a strange, burning sensation erupting throughout her entire back. All the air was forced out of her body, her lungs beginning to twist so very painfully. Her vision stained red, all the while aches erupted from her limbs. She bit down on her lip to keep herself from screaming, as she stretched out her power, the mens' pathetic screams no longer reaching her ears. She gasped for air, before moving away, cold sweat dripping down her forehead. She flicked her eyes upwards, seeing a now vigilant Jean staring at her, his eyes darkened with humiliation.

Psychic, was her first thought.

Automatically, she moved the gun toward him, as she rid the men from her sight. She watched him struggle, watched as her power eagerly surrounded him. He was choking, though he kept glaring at her, daring her to shoot. He bit down on his lip, the blood dripping from his chin, as he fought down a painful grunt.

She could feel her finger trembling on the trigger.

Then, she saw a neat little hole, right there, between his eyes.

He stared at her, with wide, unblinking eyes. His lips parted slightly, as he stood there, the surprised embracing his features. The bright, red petals caressing his throat started falling, one by one, scattering in every direction without him knowing. As they left, the flower became more and more putrid, withering away away at the seams. The lush color faded from her eyes, the shallow beauty the blossom carried now disappearing before her very eyes. She could see sharp, black thorns, instantly caressing the collar. They became scars, those thorns, entwining its merciless addiction to his neck without any hesitation.

Glassy eyes reflected back at her.

She could see Sector Security rushing toward her, yelling, shouting, trying to get a hold of Akiza.

She saw Yusei, just right behind them.

She blacked out after that.

* * *

Mangled.

That was the only way Yusei could describe them.

Arms and legs, all twisted the wrong way, and deep, dark holes covered their bodies, the red so easily entwining with the once white, pristine floors. Eyes wide with fright, with concern, the deadness in their faces now evident, he could only imagine the madness that caught up to them, the moment they stepped forward and aimed their guns. Heads were turned the wrong way, the brutal cracks on their necks enough to make him flinch. He could see them before, as they ran toward their leader, prepared to do whatever it took, if only to get him out of there safely. Bullet holes coated their torsos, all the while only withered roses hung to their throats, clinging to it as tightly as they could for fear they'd fall, and be trampled on.

He took in the scene with the those thoughts, as the horror gradually settled within his eyes. All the while, the officers kept on moving, seemingly oblivious to the massacre in front of them. The hostages, were running the other direction, the same, desperate hope shimmering from their eyes. They were all coming this way, toward his direction, without the faintest idea of what was going on outside. And yet, just behind, he could hear Jack, and Crow, and Leo and Luna, racing toward his direction, prepared to rescue their friend, the expectations so predictably written all over their face.

And then he saw Akiza, sitting there, right in front of them.

Emotionless.

With one, single gun in her hands.

He ran toward Akiza as Security stormed in, shouting out for the hostages to come, with Trudge just a few feet behind. He crouched down, and grabbed a hold of her shoulders. "Aki!" he shouted.

She neither said anything, nor returned his gaze. She just sat there, like a porcelain doll, holding that gun with all the strength she could possibly hold in that fragile grip of hers. Dead eyes stared back at his, and though he could feel her pulse, her heartbeat resonating loudly from his eardrums, he never noticed any of it. Only that cold, icy, look the other men carried, her skin cool to the touch.

"Akiza!" he repeated, shaking her lightly, though to no avail.

His eyes fell to her hands then.

Trembling.

Quickly, he placed his own fingers on hers, trying to get her to calm down, all the while attempting to see where the officers were all going, trying to comprehend the predicament before him. He sat there for a single moment, before gritting his teeth, and to prying her fingers away from the gun. He stared down at it, then looked out at the other men laying there, their bodies so very similar to the nightmares he's held just days before.

Did Aki do this?

"Akiza!" familiar voices chimed.

Yusei hid the gun within the folds of his jacket.

As the others swarmed around her, the concern deep within their eyes, Yusei looked ahead. There were more coming this way, both the men, and the hostages. It was so hard to tell who was who, from the panic in their eyes, to the realization that if they didn't do _something,_ they'd end up dying. Everyone kept calling out names, trying to get someone, anyone's attention. As the officers kept on with their jobs, the remaining men following in suite of their demise, Yusei noticed something moving from the balconies.

A shadow.

It was small, the shadow, the thick ebony wrapped around it so carefully. It just kept standing there, beckoning for someone to come in. A callous howl poured out from the shadow.

His eyes flickered toward Security, to Trudge, to his friends.

No one noticed.

Then, in that one, single moment, the shadow froze.

Slowly, Yusei stood up, the gun still in his possession. Carefully, he moved himself out of the way, allowing Jack and Crow to examine her, the ambulance already wailing from a distance. He came away from the officers, as he came toward that shadow, their footsteps echoing from the depths of his mind. He brushed aside the bodies as he did so, their voices slowly coming away from his ears. At that instant, he started running.

As did that shadow.

Yusei clenched his teeth, as he raced after it. The smell of iron and rust coated the atmosphere around him, as that shadow disappeared down below, the enigmatic hallway taunting him with everything it could possibly have imagined. He turned back briefly the other's voices fading completely from him, then followed in after it.

The cold enticed the stone caressing it, the lights growing dimmer and dimmer with each step Yusei took. Soon after, the tiles faded, changing to concrete with the slightest hints of mold growing off to the side. The steps became slippery, the iron rails tightly hanging to the walls helplessly. The daylight faded from him, replaced by artificial florescence, which provided little detail as to where the shadow went. And yet, he could still hear their footsteps racing away, along with light laughter following in suite.

He clutched the gun in his jacket, as he continued on, knowing full well what would've happened had he let the monster get away. Anger, resentment, testaments of a grudge he knew he could never let go; he kept moving, even in the darkness. The bodies reappeared before him, the families waiting outside, and even Akiza…

They swallowed him whole.

He stumbled, before catching himself again, moving onto the shadow as quickly as he could. He couldn't afford to gaze down at the bodies, maneuvering himself out of their way. He could feel the gun slipping from his jacket, all the while trying to come up with a plan to drag them back up the surface, for Sector Security to come and haul them away. Whoever this person was, the Dark Signers probably had nothing to do with it. Was it one of Goodwin's enemies? Jack's? Some higher-up someone pissed off? The killer?

And then, the shadow stopped.

Yusei's eyes widened, his own pace softly dying away.

The staircase had seemingly vanished behind him, leaving but a long, narrow hallway in his wake. From what Trudge showed Yusei, this tunnel was the only other way out of the mall. Supposedly, it led to the sewage systems, a convenient way of disposing trash. Since Trudge knew about the system, by now, Sector Security must've already surrounded the openings, fully aware of the hijacker's escape routes. If that was the case, then the creature knew it would've sense to stop here, and try to fight their way out, one final desperate move before they were taken into custody.

Tension rested between his shoulder blades, and a cold sweat drop came down his forehead. He clenched his fists, as he began walking toward the shadow, replaying Jean's words over and over again in his head. Then, carefully, he pulled out the gun, and waited.

"Come out," a soft voice sang.

Yusei clutched the gun tightly, doing whatever he could to force down an enraged scream. Slowly, his mind dissipated the tempest of emotions clouding his judgement. Then, with one breath, he came out, gun in hand.

A young girl stood there, who was just around Luna's age. Dark, raven hair glistened beneath the low, flickering lights, with equally dark shadows beneath her eyes. Just like the other men, she had pale skin, her red, crimson lips reflecting accurately the nightmarish scenes taking place on the surface. She wore a long, black dress, with chains softly dangling from her ankles. with bloody bandages wrapped around her small arms. Bright, green eyes kept examining him, her predatory eyes taking in the frustration deeply embedded in his face.

Like all the others, she had a red rose strapped to her throat, one that wasn't wilting yet.

"Hello," she greeted, in a quiet, musical voice.

He kept groping for words, trying to find the right thing to say.

She returned his silence, before giggling. "You like what I did? My handiwork, sir."

…Sir?

She clapped her hands happily. "But of course, I guess I got a little messy. Then again, what was I supposed to do? They all just kept standing there, and I couldn't really do anything productive. But don't worry; no one was killed! You know, except for the ones Jean already got to. He really is an idiot, isn't he? Well, I guess you already knew that… Ah! I'm so sorry! I'm rambling again, aren't I?"

Slowly, he raised the gun up, his icy breath coming away from him. His head was throbbing, as he stared at the girl, the one with that happy, innocent smile so eerily strapped to her face.

Why was she here?

What was she _talking_ about?

She blinked, as she stared down at the trigger. Confusion marred her bright look, but before long she cast it aside. "Oh right; the game! Well, I had to. If I didn't, they'd come for us. But seriously though, to think he's actually participating in that stupid game. See? I did tell you not to make him a knight; got bigheaded he did, and he had a really _big_ mouth _-"_

"What'd you mean?" he finally asked.

The girl's smile disappeared then. She took a tiny step closer to him, hands to her side. She cocked her head. "Sir-?"

"Don't give me that!" he spat, the disgust enveloping around his tone. The pain became more prominent, the throbbing now pounding against his skull. "What'd you want from me? From us? Who are you?"

"What'd you mean?" she asked. "Stop playing around sir; we've got to go or else they'll come back. I don't think the other covens will appreciate it if we-"

Covens.

Just then, a loud shot rang behind Yusei's ears.

He turned back, only to find an officer standing there, just a few feet behind him.


	11. Chapter 11

Alexis stared off into the black, her eyes scanning the faded, eerie silhouettes from just a few inches away. The ghostly, pale moonlight gave off smallest glimpses of forbearance, the cool, velvet curtains swaying in some artificial breeze from far away. The tall, stained glass windows reflected back the light behind it, the tiny dust particles swaying to their own, rhythmic lullaby. The wooden floorboards creaked softly as the girl stepped forward, watching her own movements, all the while listening in on nonexistent footsteps lingering near. Her hand slowly moved toward the golden countertop, her eyes straying to the single, tiny photograph next to her fingertips. She couldn't help but stare at it for a while, before moving on from it. She could see familiar shadows leaving the parking lot, and inside, a black hurst with two faces both Jaden and the reporter knew all too well.

Serene paintings stared down at her, entwining gracelessly to the light azure surrounding them. A large, black grand piano sat in the middle of the lobby, its pure keys innocently waiting for its visitors to come and play it again. There were a few mahogany benches out in the lobby, all of which were faced to the piano, anxious for the next pianist to come and perform for them. Two big bookshelves were settled toward the back of the room, its morbid books claiming her attention so very easily. There were a few tables here and there, some ostentatious, others incredibly humble, though in the end they all served the same purpose. Each of the tables had one single candle, all of which were white, unlit. Alexis scrutinized them for a few moments, as she walked over and crouched down to the edge, before finally recalling what they were for. Her glare softened, taking her time to admire the meticulous patterns carved onto the wax, before standing up, and moving on, the faces of the victims still in her mind.

Hours after that incident at the mall, Akiza was rushed to the hospital. From Jaden's told her, there was massive internal bleeding the doctors had to take care of. Along with a broken arm and leg, from the way she'd been responding, the doctors were thinking about keeping her in the hospital for a week or two. Her parents were already back, and as of now, both Jaden and Yusei were with Akiza.

Ms. Raines told them to take the rest of the week off too, though of course, that might just be for her own sake. Alexis saw the reporter on screen when the shooting happened, and now, the poor woman was probably trying to catch her breath. Apparently, she's witnessed a suicide too, and that alone was enough for Alexis to feel sorry for her; she really did need a break. As did Jaden, but since they still had a report to do, Alexis decided to go alone this time.

No, it wasn't purely out of selfless intent; after all, Alexis needed the distraction too. The uncanny appearance the murderers possessed just seemed a bit…too realistic, though all the same, too dreamlike. It was as if she'd seen them before, whether it be on some ad, or on FBI's most wanted, or Criminal Minds, or on some tabloid article where fallen celebrities try to reclaim the public's attention. Though Ms. Raines did say the group was responsible for the murders, Alexis found it incredibly hard to believe. She didn't know why; she just didn't. Then of course, Jaden always told her not to trust her own instincts. More often than not, it brought them more harm then good, and that was one of the few aspects Alexis could agree with him on, however painful the insult was. Still, Alexis kept the feeling close, and continued her search, shoving the notion to the farthest corner of her own mind.

She turned around then, surveying the elegant funeral home, before catching sight of a familiar door. Hurriedly, she came away from the lobby, and made a beeline to those large french doors, knowing full well that the basement was just behind it. Honestly, Alexis couldn't understand why Ms. Raines couldn't get in. The funeral director was such a nice person, telling Alexis that as long as she didn't mess with the bodies, everything should be fine. He even invited her to shadow him for a month or two, get a feel for what it was like in the mortuary. Career aspects, career aspects.

Then she remembered who Ms. Raines was, and her confusion dissipated.

She leaned her body against the cold surface, then twisted the knob. She creaked open the door, the cold air blasting her with all its might. She peeked inside, then opened the door wider, revealing a dark, rusty staircase descending further down into the basement. She regarded the pathway for sometime, before stepping inside, her footsteps resounding across her eardrums.

The roses those monsters had on their throats were so iconic. The strangeness she felt before, as well as the eerie confidence she had in knowing what would happen in the end, was more or less expected. Though so many people around them were horrified at the crime, it was as if that was the most normal thing to her, so normal that when she looked around, she thought every stranger near her was weird; it was as if they'd never seen a dead body before. And besides, Aki was strong, the greatest in the world. There was no way she _wouldn't_ find a way out that situation; she was just too awesome.

Alexis traced the walls lightly with her fingers, the icy atmosphere beginning to overtake the warmth she held so very dearly. She breathed in a deep, lovely breath, as she turned back, the door still wide open. She paused for a moment, enthusiastically taking in the dark, dank atmosphere around her. After that little moment, she continued on her way, and before long, she reached the end of the staircase. She began fumbling around, searching for a light switch, trying to do whatever she could to, at the very least, see something from here. Ah, there.

The basement was big, from what she could remember. So incredibly big, with dissection tables all neatly lined up, in two simplistic columns, all of whom with bodies upon it. A tall, metal shelf stood in the back of the room, filled with whatever equipment the embalmers needed to get the job done. The metal sharply gleamed against the white light, and though Alexis was curious, she fought down the urge to search through the equipment. She held a disappointed smile on her face, before staring at the bodies so clearly laid out for her to see.

She blinked, as she came toward them, their same, icy blue faces covered with an ethereal expression, one Alexis knew wasn't there before. She bit back an amused giggle; stitches, scalpels, makeup, eyelashes; she asked herself if the embalmers were working late tonight, though at this point, she doubted there was anyone was here. Well, is this what Ms. Raines wanted from Jaden? Pictures of the bodies, right? Personally, Alexis had no problem with it, but as of this point, she doubted the reporter would want to see stuff like lipstick and mascara. And they all seemed to look like regular bodies to her; nothing out of the ordinary; did she even need to take any photos?

She peered around her cautiously, when she could see neat files stacked onto a lone, clean table in the middle of the room.

Her eyes widened, as she rushed toward them. Well, it was the mortician's fault for putting them out like this; if this wound up in the story, he'd have no one to blame but himself. Slowly, she splayed out the contents onto the table. She neatly lined them up in a single line, delicately handling them so they wouldn't get wrinkled. Her eyes stole a quick peek at the bodies, before returning back to the papers. There was a weird smell coming from them, and it smelled familiar, but she brushed it aside. She rapidly whipped out her cellphone, and began taking pictures of the documents, not even bothering to see the death certificates, certifying the symptoms they've died from, the cause as to what'd killed them. Alexis knew the result was the same; she only needed the family reports.

And who knows? Maybe she could sneak a corpse or two to the forensic labs, though that might be a bit trickier. But as far as she was concerned, these files were the only new information they had; Ms. Raines could look up the bodies later.

And yet, she found her gaze returning to the corpses.

There it was again, that smell.

Alexis blinked, as she shuffled the papers back into their respective places, and brought out new ones. She scanned through them, rereading the names to herself as she laid them out. There they were, the victims. Again, she began taking pictures of them, her fingers quickly storing the files as she dd.

Bitter almonds.

She stopped then.

She squinted her eyes against the white light, as she turned around. Before long, she found herself walking toward one of the bodies, the curious light embedded within her eyes, her phone in hand. She came to the side of an old, fat man, a politician whose name she'd forgotten, and leaned over. With one hand, she wafted the smell towards her nostrils, while the other gripped the edge of the table tightly. Her eyes narrowed, as she straightened.

That same scent, the smell of bitter almonds.

Cyanide.

Her gaze flickered down toward her phone. Already she was getting text messages from Jaden, telling her how frustrated he was, how frustrated everyone was.

She bit her lip. She held out her phone in front of her, her long, blond hair coming over her shoulder. Then, in that moment, she punched Jaden's phone number. She placed the tiny thing against her ear, and waited.

No one answered.

* * *

Yusei stared down at Akiza's unconscious face. It was so eerie, just seeing her like this; it was as if he was looking at a dead person. It was hard to tell if she was breathing, even if he did feel for her pulse. Her hair was splayed all over the bed, and her skin was a sickly pale, comparable to the hospital bed she was in. When he looked up at the needle jammed in her arm, he couldn't help but flinch. His eyes strayed to the bloody bag hovering just a few inches away from her, and he closed his eyes.

He could still remember her, in his arms, nothing at all like the strong duelist he'd come to know. He could feel her trembling hands, as he took the gun away from her, could see her empty, dull eyes staring at him, emotionless to the world around her. She was like that for hours, from what Crow had told him, before someone managed to get her to the hospital. By then, Yusei could only follow behind, while everyone else talked on and on about who the bastards were, what they wanted from Akiza. Yes, there were times when Jack asked Yusei what was going on, only for him to brush the blonde aside in favor of his own thoughts. But after that, everyone fell silent, and only hoped for the best outcome.

From the reports Trudge had gotten, it seems this group was actually responsible for the murders of the politicians. The leader had a pretty bad grudge against Goodwin, and since that leader was Jean Beaumont, an internationally wanted criminal who had connections to terrorist organizations, it would seem that the police had found their guy. As soon as everything settled down, and all the remaining members were arrested, society would go back to normal, or at least, as normal as things can get. People, of course, were still hurt, but in the end, no one died.

He didn't buy it, not one single bit.

Jean was an idiot, incompetent, someone who couldn't save his own men from being shot up. And it was Akiza that showed him that.

Aki.

As for the girl he followed, it seems she suffered a crueler end. The officer who shot her told Yusei he was only following orders from Trudge, which was to incapacitate everyone with a red collar on them. When Yusei asked him why, he simply shook his head and told Yusei to come back up, that Sector Security would deal with the body. "A lot of procedures and paperwork," was what the officer said.

Though he didn't see Yusei holding a gun, of course, sooner or later Yusei knew he would have to turn it in. Until then, he could only stand there, and watch.

 _Sir,_ that girl called, in that cheerful, psychotic tone of hers.

Just a few feet behind him, the nurses were comforting the others outside, trying to calm them all down, all the while telling Leo that she wasn't going to die. A doctor was with her parents, debriefing them on the procedures she was going to have to do for Akiza.

This situation seemed so surreal.

Then, there was a knock on the door.

Automatically, Yusei looked up. The doctor stopped for a moment, as did Akiza's parents. Carefully, it creaked open, and there Jaden was, with that same, concerned light in his eye.

Mr. Izinski turned to him then, taking one step toward Akiza protectively. He furrowed his scraggly brown eyebrows, his weary, dark strands making their way toward his face. He fixed his red tie, made sure his suit looked professional, and asked who Jaden was.

The boy stared at the man for the longest time, before finally saying something, the empathy entwined in his voice. "A friend," he murmured softly. "I just wanted to see if she was alright."

Mr. Izinski looked to Yusei, who nodded. He stole a look back at his daughter, before turning to the doctor, who was now simply profiling her wounds, which, of course, angered the man. Jaden could only scrutinize him a little more, then he shrugged his shoulders, and turned to Yusei. "I guess it's no surprise. I mean, your kid's here, stuck in this place. Wasn't really supposed to happen, right?"

Yusei nodded wordlessly.

"Don't worry," Jaden reassured, as he pulled the chair next to Akiza's bedside. He sat down, and placed his arms onto the seat. He placed his chin against the rest, never once taking his eyes off her. "She'll be okay. She's really strong."

"Doctor says they'll need to keep her here for a few weeks," he replied.

"Doctor's orders through, right?"

From the corner of his eyes, he could see the subtle outrage the senator had on his face. All the while, his wife remained calm, trying to not fall into the same pits as her husband. Even with her calm composure, Yusei knew she was failing. "Something's wrong with the cell count," Yusei explained. "As of right now, they say she's severely anemic."

Jaden's lips parted. Slowly, he looked up to Yusei, and asked, "What happened?"

"Don't know. But as of this point, right now all they're doing is giving her blood transfusions."

He visibly flinched. "Must be painful then, being stuck with two broken limbs."

"She'll be on pain medication," Yusei answered easily. He looked up at the tubes then, at the casts on her arm and leg.

It really does hurt, doesn't it?

"By the way," Jaden added, as he cast an uncertain glance outside the room. "You're all friends, right? Why're they out there?"

"Just giving the family some space."

"Then why are _you_ here?"

"Her parents asked me to be here," he explained. "And besides, I found her like this, so the doctor wanted to ask me some questions too."

"Huh."

The two lapsed in silence for a while. As the moments dragged on, with no signs of Akiza waking up, Yusei turned back to Jaden. "So, how is everything?"

"With what?"

"The internship."

"What internship?" Jaden asked, as he tore his gaze away from Akiza. Yusei stole a quick glance at Jaden then, the confusion replacing the regret on his face. "What? Don't you still have one?"

"Oh; that one," the boy groaned quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know about that; lately, it seems all Raines is making me do is her dirty work. Well, _us._ I honestly don't know how much more I can put up with her, and for what? My name on some measly article no one's gonna read? But Alexis seems to be having fun, so I guess…"

Yusei smiled then. "Friend from school?"

"Yeah, she's-"

By the time Yusei turned back, he saw Jaden's astounded face, the humor vanishing from his expression. He looked up at him dumbly, before nodding. "Yeah," he said slowly. "Friend from school."

"What?" Yusei asked.

"Alexis," Jaden repeated, as he turned back, his eyes falling to the bright city lights outside the window. "Alexis Rhodes. You met her a couple months back."

"No."

"She talks about you all the time? Used to visit you, like, every _week?"_

He shrugged. "She probably has me confused for someone else."

"…No, she doesn't; I was there. C'mon, this isn't the time for jokes."

Yusei narrowed his eyes. "I'm not joking; I've never met her."

"Seriously?" he asked incredulously.

"Jaden-"

"Blond hair. Really big, cute brown eyes?"

"Cute?"

"Don't you remember anything?" Jaden pressed. "We did something really bad? You got onto us, and you scared her, just like that. Told us not to ever do it again?"

Yusei sighed frustratedly. "I always tell _you_ not to do stupid things. I think I'd know if you had someone else with you."

"Are you kidding me?" the boy stated softly, as he stood from the chair. He shoved his hands in his pockets then, as he regarded Yusei evenly. "You told us not to get ourselves caught up in anything weird. You told us to stay off the streets, what with the Dark Signers and everything. You even asked her to see if Akiza was doing good at school."

" _Jaden_ ," Yusei hissed. "I really _don't_ have time for this."

"Yeah well, neither do I." Jaden stated, as he shoved the chair beneath the bed. "Dude, get your shit together. We're in the middle of a crisis here, and Aki doesn't need any of this from you."

And with that, the boy left, leaving Yusei standing there, speechless at whatever the hell just happened.

* * *

Sayer scanned through the Arcadia Movement's records, financial statements, anything at all that would've revealed the slightest hints of yet another sponsor. He reread the numbers, redid calculations with his own two hands, trying to find discrepancies in that woman's story. Though he had none so far, he still couldn't let go of his ruined pride.

The fact that she was able to _threaten_ him was all he could think about these days, and since he was the former leader of the Arcadia Movement, he just couldn't let this go. He never even bothered touching the assignment she gave him, never even bothered looking at his deck. The only thing that consumed him was the knowledge that he might not have been as aware as he should've been, and that alone got him through hours of just sitting at his desk, doing nothing except trying to prove his own benefactor wrong.

And yet, as time wore on, seconds becoming minutes, minutes hours, he began seeing patterns, correlations that only made sense when he took Amrbosine's words to heart. He could see the revenue increasing and decreasing with each transaction made, the predictability of it all mocking him like some awful pun. Sometimes, the politician would have stocks in the entertainment industry, other times in the drug mafias, and even still, others on the local gangs Sector Security preyed on in the Satellite, but the results were the same. And even then, Sayer needed to know more, where those charges were made, what profit was being generated. And when he came to his own conclusions, that being perfectly identical to Amrbosine's, he went to Goodwin's assets. He added the fees Goodwin would've taken up, and compared them to the numbers the officials had when they first made that money.

Then he froze.

None of the fees were going to Goodwin; only half those fees were used to pay for the Arcadia Movement. The other half were going somewhere else, somewhere off the grid.

Sayer bit the inside of his cheek, as he stole a look at his deck once again.

But then he cast it aside, and continued with his work.

The fees weren't being distributed anywhere, as far as he was concerned. And, now that he thought about it, practically every higher up was being subjected to the same taxing system. Taxes from corrupt politicians, police brigades, drug dealers, practically anyone who wanted to stay hidden; he calculated the bribes they took from those fees, the money they stole from the Satellite, the budget Neo Domino was on. All that money, and yet, the same result; half to the Arcadia Movement, the other half somewhere else.

He clenched his teeth, as he started drawing the lines. So far, he had only that to go off of. Since the Arcadia Movement's finances can only be accessed through Domino bank, that person must've already had accounts there, if only to make those transactions. Multiple accounts, more than likely held by different names, since Sayer knew this person didn't want to get caught.

And here it was, the documents laid out for him to see.

Documents that looked so familiar, in his eyes.

As much as he hated to admit it, he knew they weren't falsified. He remembered them so clearly, since, out of all his sponsors, those names were perhaps the most generous. He remembered their checks, the cash they seemingly dolled from their wallets, nearly half the revenue the Movement made coming from these names.

 _According to_ your _records, when Akiza Izinski joined, suddenly, you gained a huge influx of support for your organization._

One check, for $300,000.

Another check, for $200,000.

And yet another, for $550,000.

 _You were able to expand nationally, to the point where you could even lobby some of the politicians to help benefit the Movement._

$800,000.

$1,400,000.

$2,000,000.

 _The senator, as you know, had nothing to do with your group. And aside from Akiza, no one else in your group exercised enough power to help support your cause._

Although he came across different names with different accounts, in the end, Sayer could only see one name that kept recurring, over and over again.

Izinski.

Nikolai Izinski.

 _Is this 'evidence' really all that?_

 _It is._

It was at that instant he found himself reaching for his deck.

* * *

Author's Note:

-Hello, I am the Seelie Court Jester.

-Whenever someone's been poisoned by cyanide, a lot of the times, the cause of death would be labeled as cardiac arrest, seizures, headaches, and dizziness. Usually, afterwards, when you examine the corpse, you get the smell of bitter almonds coming off of it. From what I've heard, only 40% of people in the world can actually smell it. Since none of the medical officials were even allowed to do autopsies on the body, and not even the funeral director can smell it, chances of actually finding out the cause of death are slim to none. Except, of course, if the doctors decided to test for heavy metals to begin with, which doesn't happen that often.


	12. Chapter 12

A small, tiny frown came across Jaden's lips, as he narrowed his eyes, trying to make sense of the words the document spouted. Alexis sat across from him, playing with the ends of her hair, though she reflected the same, worried expression on her face. All the while, the warm aroma of food diffused through the air, with the familiar bell signaling that it was time for lunch. People migrated toward their own little cliques, though Jaden knew all eyes were on both he and Alexis. Still, he wasn't really worried about their onlookers; their voices were quiet enough, and even if someone did overhear them, it wasn't like they'd understand much anyways.

It'd been three days since Aki was hospitalized. She hadn't woken up yet, and though the doctors keep saying it won't be long, Jaden knew better than to believe them. But he made it a point not to say anything, considering the argument he had with Yusei. Though, of course, Jaden was already on edge, what with his friend being held hostage, along with the lack of progress Ms. Raines had made on the case. And Yusei just happened to be nearby.

At some point in time, Jaden knew he was going to have to swallow his pride and apologize, but not right now; maybe after Aki wakes up. And who knows? Maybe Yusei had a momentarily lapse of sanity; maybe his brain just broke under all the stress, and he couldn't remember some things, like where he lived. But even then, the excuse was laughable.

"Here," Alexis pointed out, as she leaned over. As he read through her notes, with Alexis's tiny finger to guide him, he could hear the whispers already swirling around the classroom. That was another thing the two had to deal with; both Alexis and Jaden were close to Aki, as well as the twins in the lower grades, so they've had to deal with whatever the hell people were saying. Things were really bad right now, considering the fact that Ms. Raines caught sight of the roses the hijackers wore when they took over, then proceeded to blab it all over the internet. Aki used to be the Black Rose Witch before, and that title alone was already suspicious enough as is.

When Jaden was finished, he leaned back. "What'd you think?" he heard her ask.

He ran his fingers through his hair. "You smelled bitter almonds in the room?"

"Yes."

"We already know these men were killed," Jaden stated. "And nowadays, people can literally just buy cyanide off the streets, if they know where to go."

"That's what bothers me," she replied, as she dropped her chin to her desk. "If that's the case, then Ms. Raines would need to look at all the syndicates in Neo Domino. We've already got a list of the major ones on the Internet, but the rest are more or less obscure. It's like finding a needle in some stupid haystack."

Jaden narrowed his eyes. "What I'm concerned about are the reports."

"Huh?"

"Look here," he said softly, as he passed the cellphone over to Alexis. "The medical staff was supposed to be the first to examine the bodies. Not the ones that were poisoned, but the ones that were mutilated, right?"

"Right."

"But as we both know, neither the morgue nor Sector Security nor any of the families gave them permission to perform autopsies. And on here, they keep saying the victims died of cardiac arrest, when we know that isn't the case," he continued as he kept scrolling through the statements, finding _cardiac arrest_ written all over the papers.

Alexis's lips parted, watching him go through the phone's contents.

Jaden watched her reaction unfold, before turning back, gripping the edges of phone tightly. There was nothing at all pertaining to the actual causes, from suffocation, to beheading, to hypothermia, to even bleeding yourself out until you've lost all feeling in your fingers and toes. The bodies in both the news articles and the photos proved that much.

But what's more, some of the names on the victims weren't even right. They've gotten each and every one of them mixed up, misplacing papers over and over again until it was nearly impossible to find. Jaden spent the past few nights just trying to get everything together just to even _look_ at the stupid thing.

And even then, it was still hard to read. Alexis did tell him that when she came down to the basement, it felt like she'd just "walked into a freak show," and from what she's shown him, she was right. There was lipstick all over the men, with long, fake eyelashes seared onto their eyelids. The women wore big, bright ribbons on their necks, with large, fake diamonds clutching their long, bony fingernails. The victims were all strapped to the table, with embalming liquid poured all over their limbs, the small, puddles forming around them. Honestly, Jaden was starting to wonder if he should report on the funeral home, rather than the murders.

But the scene as just so chaotic, so immature. The entire thing seemed like something out of some horror movie, and it was through that Jaden took interest. Even now, it seems someone was playing with the bodies.

"Sloppy."

Alexis looked up. "Huh?"

"They're sloppy," he muttered. "Practically anyone who works there could find this. What're they trying to pull anyways?"

She blinked, before looking down. "You said we would've had to sneak into the morgue, right?"

"What about it?"

"The mortician let me down into the basement."

"Alexis-"

"I'm serious," she said calmly. "I asked him, and he told me he'd let me do whatever I had to do. He even left all the doors unlocked for me."

That was… _impossible._

 _Anyone_ Jaden knew who had some sick fetish would die of humiliation if anyone saw them. After all, no one wanted to be discovered with their pants down.

So why?

Why would the freaking _funeral director_ , of all people, let Alexis in, just to catch a glimpse of the corpses? He had to know that she was going to tell someone, that this might even lead to a full-blown criminal investigation. He could wind up in prison for the rest of his life, considering how influential the victims' families are. Did he think Alexis was different, special in some way? Did he want her to see stuff like that, just to get a rise out of her? Was he planning to do something with her, alongside those bodies?

His eyes flickered toward her. "We can't tell Ms. Raines about this."

"Agreed," Alexis said, as she turned to stare out the bright, afternoon skies. "She probably won't believe us."

"No," Jaden muttered, the anger slowly pouring into his veins. "Considering what people are saying about Aki, I don't even think we should get her involved."

Alexis stared up at him, before fixing her gaze on that same phone. Slowly, he watched her expression change, as if for the first time, she finally saw the seriousness of the situation. "How do you know it's not just some prank?" she asked then.

"Death is serious business. No one sane enough would dare desecrate a body," Jaden sighed. "But yeah, I can see what you're saying. She won't even look at the facts if we told her straight up."

"So what's our plan?" Alexis asked. "A full background check on this guy? He gave me his card, if you're wondering."

"Got a picture?"

"It's on the website."

"Driver license number?"

She nodded, much to his surprise. When Jaden started to ask, she simply smirked playfully, and put her head up. "He left his wallet in a picture at the front desk."

"…Why would-?"

"Clearly, he hates his credit cards."

"…You have them with you?"

"Yeah!"

"Right now?"

"Hmm."

"Like, right right now?"

She laughed lightly. "Yeah, and _I'm_ the idiot."

* * *

The title, _Domino Finances,_ flourished overhead in golden letters, the sleek sophistication contrasting to that of the sullied streets just a few feet away. Tall, steel arches gave way to the decadent, evening light, as the nostalgic rays cascaded down the glass windows. Large, maroon banners swayed on the outside, the small artificial trees seemingly shivering at the presence of the edifice. If he looked up, he could see the plentiful balconies all towering above him, and with it, the busy workers striving to maintain the bank's reputation. He'd almost forgotten that this was the one place the higher-ups could entrust all their money to, where only the elite had dared come; anyone else would've just been laughed at.

Sayer examined the documents, his eyes looking over the words with ease. Just yesterday, Amrbosine called him from the hotel. She asked him to go to the bank to check up on Nikolai's bank account, just to make sure the assets were still there, that no one had taken out any money. She sounded alarmed, frenzied almost, but he decided not to think too deeply into it, nor did he decide to question her either; he knew full well what would happen had he argued back. So with his deck in his pocket, Sayer took a deep breath, then proceeded to walk through the glass doors.

The gray carpet touched his new, brown dress shoes, though the black trench coat Sayer carried in his arms looked cheap compared to everything else in the lobby. Workers passed him with their own, clean uniforms. Footsteps upon footsteps piled onto each other, the silence desperately clinging to the atmosphere as phone calls kept ringing on and on, on and off. Tiny, black computers sat on the crystallite desks toward the edge of the windows, the few customers there endeavoring to draw out their money from their accounts. A bight, golden logo appeared on the black tiles, the vain reflections giving way to the bank's grand interior. As Sayer came toward the middle of the lobby he saw a young woman working at the front. Brown hair, with big glasses; in sight, she reminded him of the young mouse who snuck into the Arcadia Movement.

Slowly, he came toward her, the documents in hand. Amrbosine assured him that as long as he showed the files to the bank, they'd let him in. After all, there was no picture ID to go off of, and once a familiar name was mentioned, the bank would've done whatever it took to please the person saying that name. And besides which, she's already secured the bank's cooperation, forcing them to tell her everything that went on in that bank account. As of this point, no one could touch that money, and if someone tried to, she'd know about it.

When he came near, the woman at the desk looked up. She scrutinized him for a brief moment, before turning back to her job, her fingers quickly typing onto the keyboard. "Name?" she asked.

"Nikolai Izinski," he automatically answered. He laid out the documents in front of her then. "I just need to check something."

The woman scowled, as she swiped the papers from his grip. She stared at them for only a split second, before narrowing her eyes. She sighed exasperatedly at the thought of doing her job, as she pulled up the account balance. "What'd you need?" she finally asked.

"I just want to check my statements."

"Fine; come around back." she said then, as she pushed herself off the seat. She walked around the corner, and flickered her eyes at Sayer, gesturing him to follow her. He stared at her for a bit, before doing so, gripping the papers apprehensively. She opened the door for him, and waited for him to come through. When he did, she closed it behind him, then proceeded to take the lead.

The dark, grey walls didn't imitate the lobby's splendor. There were no windows, and only flickering lights helped them see, lights that reminded him of the prison cell. He warily stared down at the black tiles, as they made their way down the corridor. Soon, they both came to a small office toward the back. The woman opened the door, and swept inside, a tiny, frustrated grunt escaping her lips, as Sayer following closely behind.

As he shut the door, and flicked on the lights, he observed the rundown office, one he wouldn't have expected from such a prestigious company. An old, rusted desk settled next to a petite window, and with it, a white chair, with paint eroding from it. Although there was a gray computer there, on that desk, it was old, so old Sayer was a bit speechless. The ruined binds hardly covered the glass, and if he squinted, he could even see dust particles swirling around her. And yet the woman sat down, and jiggled the mouse, all the while gazing worriedly at the processor, as if at any minute, it would burst into flames. When it didn't, she sighed in relief.

"Give me those papers again," she ordered. Obligingly, Sayer did so.

He stared at the computer for a while, before turning his gaze elsewhere. As he paced across the room, he couldn't help but notice some old, manila folders, all of which were in a messy pile in the back corner of the room.

"Where were you?"

Sayer turned back to the woman. "Excuse me?"

"You haven't been to this bank in a while," she said then, her amiable smile taking him by surprise. "What? Get caught up in something?"

"I…yes," he fumbled, as he turned back to the files. "There were a lot of personal issues I had to deal with, but everything's fine."

"Huh."

"When was I hear last?" Sayer asked then, as he crouched down and opened up one of the folders. His name was there again.

"It says…it says ten years ago." she read.

What?

Sayer looked back up at the woman. "That can't be right."

"Well, says it here sir," she said, as she turned the screen toward him. "I didn't recognize your name from anywhere, so I figured you were buried here somewhere. The only reason why the bank hasn't terminated your account yet was the fact that you had a lot of investments somewhere. Which were incredibly profitable, I might add."

"…Ten years."

"Ten years sir," the woman said, placing her hands neatly on the desk. "So…what'd you want to check? How about-?"

"The investments," Sayer interrupted politely, as he placed the files back down. "I want to know the stocks on it. You know, with Neo Domino and everything…"

"I understand," the woman said happily.

Sayer regarded her evenly. The girl must be new. Ambitious too, considering the way she was treating him now.

Then again, Izinski was a pretty well known name in Neo Domino. And it'd been ten years this guy was here. It was through that simple fact Sayer couldn't help but wonder if Nikolai was connected to the senator in any way. Then of course, the account wasn't a joint one, and there was absolutely no way the senator would make that much money, even if he was taking bribes. There was no one powerful or affluential in his circle enough for that, no businesses he was connected with that would stoop so low, and not even the politicians he was acquainted with would dare try bribing the senator.

"Okay," the woman chirped finally. "Well, the land in Bucharest is doing just fine. Everything in Russia is okay too, but your EU points have dropped, but only just a bit. Do you want us to sell the land there, or do you want to leave it?"

"Just leave it," he said quietly. "Were there any transactions made to the Arcadia Movement, by any chance?"

"Ah…yes. Yes, there were. I can print this out for you, if you want."

"It's fine," he said, as he thought back on the number. "If you could, can you remind me when I made the account?"

She squinted her eyes. "That was…thirty years ago," she answered, before turning up to him, with that same smile. "You were saving it for siblings."

"And what were their names?"

She fell silent for a bit, as she searched the computer. Finally, she smiled. "Christoph and Arise?"

"Have they touched my account?" he asked.

"Yes. They withdrew around $7,000 from the account just last month."

He furrowed his eyebrows. Strange; it says on the documents that only Nikolai had access to these accounts, and aside from payments to the Arcadia Movement, no other transactions were made. "What were they paying for?" he asked.

"It seems like tuition and fees," the woman answered aimlessly. "The check was made out to Duel Academy."

"And when did those checks start?"

"Around...eight months ago."

* * *

Yusei closed the door tiredly, resisting the urge to drop the red toolbox then and there. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, as he descended down the staircase. Seriously, as of this point Yusei has no idea what that guy wants to with that stupid air conditioner. If he's just going to ask Yusei to fix it up so he can throw it at those kids again, he might as well just find someone else.

"Oi, Yusei!"

He really wasn't in the mood right now.

Still, Yusei looked down at Jack, as he placed the toolbox on the floor. His eyes flickered to the white duel runner plainly sitting there, with its rider carefully looking it over, an incredibly pleased smile on his face. The irritation slowly came away from Yusei then, as he sauntered down the steps and over to his own runner. Well, at least _something_ was working today.

"What'd you do to it?" Jack asked, as he crouched down, and examined the engine with his own eyes. "It runs better than ever."

"Rearranged some parts," Yusei answered. "I also hammered out some code parts to add to the program. But never mind that; how fast did you go?"

"One-twenty," Jack stated proudly. "Almost there."

"Right. What is it?"

"What?"

Yusei smirked, as he plopped himself onto the couch. He took off his blue jacket, then regarded the blonde evenly, who was staring at him in utter confusion. "You're never this nice. What? You get fired from another job?"

He scoffed, as he stood. "Work isn't my thing. And no, _I_ didn't do anything." His eyes flickered sideways.

Yusei blinked, before following his gaze. A tiny, brown box sat on the desk next to the computer. The seal was open, of course, with tiny streams of bubble wrap thrusted everywhere. Other than that, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He turned to to Jack. "Is that for me?"

Jack shook his head, a serious frown on his face. "No," he began, as Yusei walked over to the package. "Crow and I think the stupid thing was delivered to the wrong address. Crow opened it because he was curious."

"Huh," Yusei said aimlessly, as he looked over the box, before opening the covers. Jack was saying something, but Yusei didn't hear what. He could only stare down at the five clear bottles staring back up at him, alongside the tiny pills resting inside.

Before long, he could hear Jack coming toward him. "Yeah, that's what I can't figure out. Crow and I figured it was some kind of medicine or something. Problem is, there's no return address, and Crow found it lying here, at our front doorstep."

It was a while before Yusei could say…anything. "You just found it here?"

"That's right," he replied, folding his arms in front of his chest. "No label, no nothing. I honestly think we should just toss the thing."

"No."

"Hmm?"

Yusei narrowed his eyes, all the while tracing the bottles back up to the pills residing inside. Carefully, he picked one of the bottles up, searching through his mind and labeling them with their own consistency. It was then he turned to Jack. "We should keep them. If the real owner comes here looking for them, we'll just hand it to them."

Jack sighed frustratedly, before moving back to his bike, wondering if he should ride it out again. Yusei stared at the blonde for a moment, then turned back to the box.

Cyanide.

Yusei blanched as he rummaged through the box. Jack said Crow found at the front door, just lying around, waiting for someone to show up. Whoever this person was, why they would just leave a box of poison lying around was just…strange.

More than strange.

"Jack," he suddenly called.

"What? You still looking at that?"

"Other than the medicine, did you find anything else in there?"

"Nope…wait," he corrected, as pausing to ponder on the mysterious notes. He then dug out whatever he had in his pocket, his fingers fumbling around. Finally, he pulled a single, piece of paper with masking tape all over it. "Here."

Carefully, Yusei set the box down, then took the paper. He unfolded the creases, and stared down at the name.

Nikolai Izinski.


	13. Chapter 13

Angela examined her nails, trying to, at the very least look busy, though the annoyance was already showing on her face. Her long, blond hair was tied back into a neat ponytail, with that same, red jacket covering the wrinkles on her usually neat undershirt. It wasn't long before she checked her phone for anymore updates from her trusty interns. After a few moments of staring at the screen, she closed her eyes, and shoved the phone back in the jacket's pockets, which, of course, added to her irritation.

It was only a few days ago when she found out someone from her department had published an article on the Black Rose. Apparently, they believed there were links between the duelist herself, and the group of killers who wore those roses the other day, during that stupid hostage crisis. What's more, they put Angela herself as the author of the article. More than once she got called in from an incredibly pissed editor, only for her to tell him that she didn't write it. The article itself damaged Angela's already rocky reputation as a reporter, but what's more, it nearly destroyed the professional relationship she was cultivating with Yuki and his friend. That was the last thing she needed, but then again, what could she do, but tell them she wasn't the culprit? Why would they believe her, what with little progress she'd made on the case?

And yet, even if she did somehow convince them that she didn't write the article, Angela knew how much they admired Izinski. Whenever they thought Angela wasn't around, the only thing they'd talk about was whether or not the young woman was discharged from the hospital yet, or if there was any news from the doctors concerning her condition. Considering how so many reporters, including Angela, painted Izinski as the wicked Black Rose witch, it was only natural those two would be wary of her.

She sighed hopelessly. Right now, she was at the hospital, along with her many "colleagues." They were trying to get an interview with the hospital's director, to see what the stances were between the medical staff and the families, as well as Sector Security. From what she could understand, there's been a bit of a power struggle between both sides; the hospital wanted to do autopsies on the victims, but neither Sector Security nor the families were giving them permission. The controversy was so deep, especially with what'd happened at that mall. The public wanted answers as to what'd happened, and yet, at the same time, no one wanted to seem heartless enough that they'd actually desecrate the bodies.

She stared back at the crowds of reporters gathered around, all of whom were endeavoring to determine where the director's hiding place was. It wasn't long before she turned back to her empty space, playing with a single pen lying just a mere inch away.

The Black Rose was in this hospital, wasn't she?

Angela turned back.

The nurses and doctors were probably all too busy with their jobs to notice anyone. The security guards were trying to force the reporters out, and all the other staff were too busy handling the patients. Though her cameraman was swept away in the crowds, Angela could still get by with just a simple interview. And if Akiza isn't awake, she could always come back later.

So, with a huff, Angela swept to the back counter and looked through the sign-in sheets. The name _Izinski_ glared up at her, with a simple date written beside it, as well as the room number. She smirked satisfyingly, then stole away from the crowd, and walked toward the elevators. Once she was safely inside, she shut the doors, and watched as the director timidly came out, only to be hounded by the same people he thought he'd gotten rid of.

Personally, Angela never really liked hospitals. The small of the antiseptic always gave her headaches, and whenever she saw needles, she couldn't move. The examination tables always felt icy to her, and if she saw those white lab coats, she would always look the other direction. She detested everyone in the healthcare field, and as far as she knew, they never really liked her either. In fact, ever since she became a reporter she only ever reported the bad stuff that happened in hospitals.

Slowly, as the numbers increased, the waiting music ringing in her ears, Angela began fumbling around for a notepad and pen. It's funny, how far she'd gotten. Even if what she was reporting on wasn't realistic, in the end, she was satisfied. Ever since she graduated from high school, it was as if everything had just fallen into place. There was nothing that didn't go her way, nothing she had to work hard for. Everyone bent backwards for her, and even now, when she was at the station, it was as if every popular story that came, she was there, at the right place, at the right time. Her life was so perfect it was eerie.

When the elevator stopped, and the doors opened, Angela took a deep breath, and came outside. She looked around; no one. She saw a tiny sign plastered onto the wall, and when she came toward it, her smile grew bigger. Room 1065, right?

As she passed the golden hallways, the serene pictures gazing back at her lovingly, she kept searching through her memories, feeling spoiled as she did. Perhaps the only thing that didn't really go her way, was anything that involved Goodwin. Well, that and this case. But then again, that was life, wasn't it? Witnessing the violence, as well as investigating it; though she didn't necessarily enjoy doing that, in the end, what choice did she have?

She came to a slow halt. The wooden, ornate door seemed to invite her in, the ostentatious handle ready for her to unlock. She simply stared at the thing for a while, before nodding, and walking toward it. Carefully, she knocked. Then, without another pause, she grabbed the handle and opened the door.

And then she saw her.

Izinski.

The girl was hooked up to so many different machines, some working, others not. Tubes were injected into her arms, with a clear liquid racing through the plastic. An oxygen mask was strapped to her face, and when Angela stepped just a bit closer, she could see bruises marred all over her limbs, freshly made bruises, with new scars wrapped around her throat. Her eyes were bandaged, her own hospital gown easily capturing her battered, helpless body. Her dark, velvet hair was splayed in every direction, something so very different from the way Angela was used to seeing people.

Angela bit her lip.

She shut the door behind her. Slowly, she walked closer, her eyes taking in the tubes, the needles, practically everything she found so very disturbing. And yet, she couldn't help but stare at the many IVs sitting next to her.

Still, she would've turned away, if not for the fact labels staring at her.

Diazepam.

Ketamine.

Brevital.

Lorazepam.

Anaspaz.

Levbid.

Levsin, Anectine, Nimbex, Orabase, Stadol, Talwin, Sublimaze.

And many more she couldn't even bear to look at.

Angela's lips parted slightly, as she touched the IV bags lightly.

Anesthesia drugs.

All of it.

And yet, there was one that caught her eye, one that, for some reason, she recognized.

Benzodiazepine.

Memory loss.

The reporter scrutinized the bag for a bit, before turning back to Akiza. From the corner of her eyes however, she saw a plain, manila folder sitting there, next to her bedside. Angela examined the girl for a bit more, then, without thinking, reached for the folder, and opened it.

120.

 _She was on more than 120 different drugs._

1,000mg.

60mg.

 _4,000mg._

 _10,000mg._

Angela quickly looked back at the heart monitor.

Steady.

 _Why?_

Just then, Angela heard footsteps.

And voices.

Familiar voices.

She bit her lip, as she looked down at the files. She could get arrested for this. She could cause Izinski to lose her own life, with all this medication, and it'd be Angela's fault. And even if the duelist didn't die, Angela would be fired from her job. She'd be ruined, and her frighteningly perfect life would come to an end.

But she took the file anyways.

* * *

They trudged through the rain, the fat droplets splattering everywhere as they passed by. The dim lights from the nearby street lanterns gave little warmth to its tired wanderers, all of whom were busy trying to find their way home. Grey streets reflected back the stormy skies above, the blaring horns from the cars from just a few feet away adding to the torrents. Heavily coated silhouettes passed them lazily, all the warm glow from the businesses nearby callously brushed aside by the onlookers, all of whom dreamt only of a single, quiet hearth to call their own.

It wasn't long before the two finally reached a small square, not too far from the city, filled with buildings and apartments. A large, broken clock loomed over the square, though the residences never bothered taking any notice of it. Grey and brown entwined together within the gloomy atmosphere, the cloudy windows reflecting back the relaxing tension dissipating throughout the air.

They were both in their school uniforms, Jaden and Alexis, as they stood underneath a big, black umbrella. They were in front of Yusei's apartment, the lights from the windows brightly shimmering even from far away. Unfamiliar shadows grazed the glass, and though the shapes were blurry, the two could still make out the figures inside. Their eyes settled to one single figure sitting there, with his back turned to them. They stared at him for a while, before Alexis turned to Jaden with a coy smile on her face. "You wanted this."

"Shut it," he murmured anxiously. "We're here for business."

"Right," she replied playfully, as she gripped the umbrella's handle tightly. "Official business. You know, I thought this was supposed to be "our" secret. But we're getting Yusei involved now-"

"Not that," Jaden rectified, as he stole the handle away from her and shooed her to the door. "We just wanted to know if Aki's okay. Remember? That stupid doctor isn't saying anything-"

"So…this has nothing to do with the hijacking?"

"No," he answered, closing the umbrella. "Besides, we don't have time for that. The morgue will close soon."

"I'm not giving those credit cards back."

"Of course not," he sighed. He looked up at that old door, before raising his knuckles and knocking on it. Usually, the garage would be open, but since it was raining, Yusei probably doesn't want the duel runners getting wet.

A very important thought came to him then. "What'd you buy with the money?" he asked then.

"That new dollhouse," she answered. "You know, the one on the commercial."

"I still can't believe you play with those creepy things."

"Screw you; they're cute."

A second later, the door swung open.

There was a redheaded man standing there, a bit older than Jaden. He had those same, yellow markings Yusei had, one on both his cheeks, the last on his forehead. He wore a green headband, with two, silver rings off to the side. Dark grey eyes stared back at Jaden, and when they looked down, they saw a yellow jacket over his orange undershirt. It wasn't long before Alexis cocked her head. "Huh, you work for that new fast food place down the road, right?"

The man stared at her for a while, before turning to Jaden. "Can I help you with something?"

"Is Yusei there?"

Immediately, his gaze softened. He opened the door wider, as he turned back. "Hey, Yusei!"

"Still working!"

The man turned back with an apologetic smile on his face. "You mind waiting?"

Jaden nodded gratefully, before looking over the man's shoulder. "Hey, bestest friend in the whole world! You there?"

A split second later, Yusei stood behind the man, the surprise etched onto his face. Jaden bit the inside of his cheek, and turned his gaze elsewhere, a subtle frown grazing his lips. All the while, Alexis came from behind him, and waved at him happily. "We came!" she stated.

Jaden could feel Yusei scrutinizing him, both he and Alexis; that afternoon in the hospital was still in his mind. After a few more seconds, Jaden started kicking himself; Yusei's probably wondering what kind of trouble they got themselves into now. And there was no doubt Jaden was going to have to apologize to him, and _right_ in front of her…

"So that's Alexis," he heard Yusei say.

Jaden's eyes widened.

He couldn't help but turn back.

All the while, the rain steadily poured onto the two.

"So?" he heard himself ask. "You gonna let us in or what?"

The man blinked. "What's your problem?"

Yusei placed a single hand on the man's shoulder. "Let them through Crow," he said. "They're cool."

Crow hesitated for a brief second, as he turned back to the two. Then, in that same moment, he shoved himself away from the door, and let them pass.

Jaden stole a quick glance at Alexis, who was now happily bouncing into the room, taking in the familiarity of garage, the duel runners, everything. It doesn't look like she heard Yusei, but when she turned back, an expectant smile on her face, Jaden couldn't help but trail in. When Yusei closed the door, he turned back. "This joke is starting to get old."

Yusei narrowed his eyes. "What joke?"

"You really don't know her?"

"I-"

"Yusei!" Alexis called then. Both Jaden and Yusei looked down, only to find the blonde at the bottom of the stairway, examining the duel runners. The rider, Jack Atlas, had only noticed her just now, and was beginning to complain about her touching it. "You finish with the engine yet?" she asked.

Yusei stole a gaze toward Jaden, who regarded him with that same, unbelieving face. "You told her, remember?" he pressed quietly. "She even helped you buy some of the parts."

"N-not yet," the man replied. He slid his gaze uncertain, yet icy gaze to Jaden. "So is that it then?"

"No; I just wanted to see if you've heard anything from Akiza."

"I haven't," he answered stoically. "You're welcome to stay here though, until the rain lets up."

Jaden closed his eyes briefly, before opening them. " _We_ can't. We've got somewhere to be. Hey, Lex-"

"WHAT THE DEUCE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

Jaden jolted, and looked back down at the stares. He caught the girl standing there, her hands covered in ash and soot, while touching a white duel runner. Confusion marred her expression, as she stared at Atlas, who was now fuming. "Watch where you put those _filthy_ hands of yours!" he screeched.

Alexis blinked, before looking at her own palms. "This was already on there."

"Are you _kidding me?_ Look at it! Before you touched her, she was perfect!"

"She?"

Jack swirled around to Yusei. "Yusei! She's with you, right?"

Jaden turned to Yusei, who had an incredibly amused smile on his face. "Calm down Jack," he said after a while. When he looked down at Alexis, her face immediately brightened. Then, without warning, she started to giggle. "Hey! Aki's not the only reason why we're here, right?"

Jaden blinked. "What? What're you-?"

"Yus, we want to do something, but we need your help again," she shouted, as she bounded up the stairs, leaving Jack to deal with his sullied runner. Yusei paused for a single moment, his own reluctance steadily drawing him back, before nodding. "What is it?"

"Here's the thing," she continued, the grin she carried quickly fading from her face. "You were there with Aki during the hijacking, right? We were just wondering if you saw anything weird."

"Weird?"

Jaden sighed exasperatedly. "It's nothing. Alexis, we need to go-"

"Remember the case Jaden's working on?" the girl said, effectively ignoring the death glare she was receiving. "You know, the one with the serial killer?"

"…Yeah…?"

"Apparently, the hijacking was linked to the murders, and the ones who held all those people hostage were responsible for them. Right now, we're trying to find a connection between the hijackers, and the politicians, so-"

 _"_ _Okay,"_ Jaden interrupted, as he stepped forward, and grabbed her arm. "That's enough."

"W-wait!" Alexis chimed, forcibly dragging Jaden back. She turned to Yusei with a wide grin. "We'll be okay. You don't have to worry about anything!"

"Alexis-"

"And Aki really misses you, so hurry up and win this tournament, okay?"

 _"_ _We're going."_

Before she could say anymore, Jaden grabbed both her arms, and led her away.

* * *

Bloodstained fingers.

All over bloodstained limbs.

With a scarlet sky staring overhead, the scent of iron diffusing through the air.

She lay there, on the cold ground. Dried, salty streams lay on her cheeks, the searing pain burning from every part of her body. Tiny, desperate breaths escaped from her rotting lungs, as her body tried grasping for air, only to fail in the process. Her nails kept clawing at the ground, her heart pounding throughout her head with all its vivaciousness. Hazy shapes splayed themselves across her vision, the black and grey entwining gracelessly throughout the scene. She could see them there, those familiar faces.

Faces she's seen before.

Faces she's loved time and time again.

And yet, there was one face that caught her eyes. Kindhearted, compassionate, a bit stubborn at times, mysterious, though completely predictable; a face she enjoyed having around, a face she liked talking with, though in the end, one she knew she couldn't trust. Lies upon lies upon lies upon lies, all of which fell from her own lips. But then, she knew that wasn't fair; the face repeated the same lies back at her.

 _Akiza!_

That face had a body, a silhouette to call its own. A shadow, which formed beneath even the most tainted of lights, even along the edge of that sinful evening. It wore all black, an unpleasant, yet forgettable memory slowly fading within the depths of her mind. Ah, and it had a rose too. A black rose, with very, very sharp thorns.

 _You're gonna be alright._

Then, she felt her own lips move.

There was a lot of screaming, at that moment. A lot of screaming, a lot of shouting, the demands swirling up into the air, like an insignificant hymn everyone tended to ignore, or a line from a prayer not one dared to say. And the shadow's voice followed those demands, easily trailing after it in quiet mourning. Lachrymose coated those words, and by the time Akiza could finally make out what it was saying, she simply closed her eyes.

She was saying something else, something important, and yet, for some reason, it refused to listen. It caressed her battered body, gripping it tightly in its arms. It was as if once it let her go, she'd vanish, along with the rest of the faces surrounding her. It was trembling, the shadow, refusing to believe a single thing she said, brushing aside anything she had to tell it. She drew a shallow, haggard breath, and though she could've stopped, she kept on with her words, no matter how painful it felt, no matter how badly she wanted to crumble beneath her weariness. And when she was done, the shaking stopped. Carefully, it let her go then.

 _You really are loyal,_ she heard herself say.

And then she woke up.

Akiza blinked, as she stared up at the white ceiling in front of her.

Her father sat worriedly at her bedside, with dark shadows beneath his eyes. Her mother was behind him, with the same expression on her face.

A man stood there, with a white coat, and a pleasantly relieved smile on his face.

And a woman, with the same coat, who was just a few feet next to him.

There was a low thudding in the back of her head.

She paused for a moment, trying to get a bearing of her surroundings, before slowly sitting up, the weight of her own hair keeping her anchored to the bed. Though everyone shot out of their spots, trying to help her in any way possible, she managed on her own. She saw the white cast on her arm, and when she looked up, another on her leg. She felt a bit dizzy, a little nauseous, though she simply took a deep breath, and concentrated.

Where was she?

"Darling!" her mother whispered, as she rushed toward her daughter, gripping her hand with both.

"Sweetheart," the man, the doctor rather, began, as he set himself in a chair across from her. "How do you feel?"

Akiza blinked, as she scanned the room once again.

The hospital.

"W-what happened?" she croaked.

"A very bad situation, but the police got you out," the man said. "You've suffered a broken arm and leg, a lot of internal bleeding, so much so we had to give you a transfusion."

"I…"

"Akiza," she heard her father say then. "I'm…I'm glad you're alright-"

She didn't hear anything else, as she turned to the windows.

Raining.

If she looked down, she could see a turbulent stream of cars coming down the highways, the brights lights almost blinding her. Loud honks noisily sounded throughout the air, resounding from across the walls without the slightest hesitation.

"W-what-?" she began, only to be interrupted by her mother. "It's alright now. You're going to be okay."

Okay.

She was going to be okay.

Akiza looked up then. "There was…there was an accident, wasn't there?"

Her father narrowed his eyes, as he leaned over. "Do you…can you tell us what happened? By the time we got here, you were already in the hospital, and…well…"

There was an accident.

There was an accident, and she was involved.

And suddenly, she was giggling.

"I'm sorry," she said after a while. "I'm just…I'm just really clumsy."

"Go on," the doctor urged.

"I was walking down the street, with something in my hand," Akiza explained, the memory slowly coming back to her. "I can't remember what it was, but I dropped it on the street. I ran in after it, and the next thing I know, I was on the ground."

Her mother stared at her, the shock already obvious on her face. "Sweetheart!"

"You know better than that," her father chided.

Akiza nodded. "Right."


	14. Chapter 14

Jaden stared at his own, grim reflection, as the silver gazed up emptily at him, the darkness so crudely embedded at the bottom. He narrowed his eyes, then turned back, the cool, damp air stuck to his skin, the ice callously embracing his empty palms. He fixed his attention back to the shelves, which were covered with cleaning supplies, fluids, instruction manuals, though nothing caught his attention. Carefully, he turned to Alexis, who was browsing the drawers just below the tables. Seconds later, her dark, tired eyes met his, then, much to his dismay, she shook her head.

He sighed frustratedly. When the pair showed up at the morgue, they were greeted with the same, morbid silence they found in the graveyard. There was no one at the front desk, though the home was still open, and there weren't any funeral services either. All the lights were still on, and judging from the plethora of calls bombarding the phone, the staff's disappearance was incredibly uncanny. It was then Alexis showed him the basement.

But despite after countless hours of searching, their efforts yielded nothing. The bodies were all gone, and since none of the families scheduled the funerals yet, there was nothing to go off of. The director wouldn't just show Alexis bodies he was going to dispose of anyways, unless, of course, he was incredibly sick, which in hindsight, he could be. "You're sure you found them here?" Jaden asked.

"I am," she answered silently. She furrowed her eyebrows, as she spun her heel and went toward the shelves. She began rummaging through the supplies, her fingers anxiously searching for something of use. "I know I saw them here," she muttered. "Maybe he cleaned them up or something…?"

"You tell me," Jaden replied, folding his arms across his chest. "You checked the visitor log today, right?"

"Nothing as usual."

"Hah," he muttered wearily. "Like they just vanished in thin air."

"Maybe all this was just some fetish," Alexis mused, standing on her tiptoes, her hands groping the top shelf for anything suspicious. "Maybe he was tired of keeping it all a secret, and he wanted to tell someone about it.

"You were probably a safe bet then."

"Yeah," she continued, not even bothering to hide the disappointment in her voice. "Who'd believe a couple of kids anyways?"

Jaden nodded quietly, as he surveyed the basement one last time. Maybe Yusei was right; maybe he should just leave this to the professionals. He didn't have the means or the authorization to investigate any further, and even if he did it'd probably be just another dead end. He was actually beginning to see why Raines preferred reporting on celebrities now. "C'mon," he whispered softly, as he turned back toward the staircase. "Let's go."

No answer.

"Alexis," he called.

"Come here."

He looked over his shoulder. "Alexis, we've got class tomorrow-"

He found her solemn expression gazing back at him, the confusion marring her normally naive frown.

He noticed a small chessboard she was holding in her arms, one covered with black and white tiles. He paused for a brief second, before making his way to her, his eyes taking in the ruined appearance of the board. Tiny, silver vines covered the outer edges of the board, with green leaves steadily swirling away from the piece. When he drew closer, he saw tiny red dots marked all over the black squares. Carefully, he took the board from her, and examined the familiar design.

"There's something else," she added, as she flipped the board over, revealing a small, black envelop taped to the bottom. A single, red rose sticker was settled toward the very bottom of the flap.

Jaden regarded it evenly; the hijackers wore something like this the other day on their necks. Of course, that sticker could mean anything, but from everything that's happened, he couldn't afford to let this slip. He bit the inside of his cheek, before coming to a table and laying the chessboard down. Alexis peered down at it, as he took the envelope off the bottom. "Did you see this before?" he asked.

"No. You think this has something to do with the bodies?"

"Who knows," he murmured. He peeled the sticker off, and looked inside the envelop. Then, without hesitation, he removed the letter inside and read it, with Alexis looking over his shoulder.

 _To my beloved King,_

 _I am pleased to invite you to my gala,_

 _in the Loreli Cemetary, during the Worm Moon. It will_

 _begin at the witching hour._

 _I would appreciate it, if both you and your Queens attend the gala._

 _Drevis,_

 _Rook to the Black Rose_

"Rook?" Alexis muttered, as she turned her gaze back to the chessboard. Slowly, she reached out, and grabbed the edge of the letter, softly tugging it to the light. Jaden reread the letter again, before turning it over. Today.

"Whoever wrote this," he said slowly, "wrote it today."

"The rook goes here, doesn't it?"

Jaden flickered his eyes down at the chessboard. He caught Alexis's elegant fingers hovering over one specific spot on the board. "I don't know. You want to ask Aki later?"

"Speaking of Aki, this Drevis person…he called himself the 'Rook to the Black Rose,' didn't he?"

"Considering we found this letter in the basement of a funeral home, I doubt he knows her. But the Loreli Cemetery isn't too far from here."

Alexis stared up at him, before returning back to the chessboard, scanning over the dots once again, as if there was some other meaning behind it, a certain secret neither could uncover. "The morgue…does services there too, don't they? They bury a lot of people there."

"That's right," Jaden said, as he turned to her with thoughtful eyes. "Ms. Raines once said that the funeral service was planning on burying all the victims there. Quiet, serene, away from everyone and everything; a good place to bury the dead. " He smirked humorlessly then. "Ironic; the most useless reporter we know actually got something right."

"And…and the 'king'?" Alexis pressed.

"My guess is it has something to do with that stupid chessboard," Jaden answered. "The King and the Rook. And look; he's even inviting his Highness to some gala. Makes you wonder if he's really as sane as he wants you to believe."

"Aki told me the king was the most powerful piece."

"The Rook to the Black Rose, huh? The psycho's even inviting the queens. Maybe it's some kind of ritual or something. Still, it doesn't really surprise me; Neo Domino's crawling with the occult. What makes a funeral service different?"

"So what about the Worm Moon?" Alexis pressed, her eyes scouring over the board. "And the Witching Hour? It all sounds like parts out of some horror movie or something. And all the black squares are marked, but the white ones are left alone."

Jaden clutched the envelop, as he folded the paper back inside. He'd seen this before, though he didn't know where. "The Worm Moon," he started, "is about two weeks from now."

"Huh?

He threw an uneasy smile toward Alexis. "It's just a name for a full moon that appears at the end of this month. The Native Americans used to name those full moons towards the end of the month. Don't ask me why."

She narrowed her eyes. "And the letter was written today."

"Yes."

"So then, what's the Witching Hour?"

That question was probably the strangest thing he's heard from her.

It's surprising, how innocent she seemed after she asked that. It was as if she should've already known what that was, should've already guessed the meaning behind it. There was a certain familiarity to that time for Jaden too, a disgusting recognition deep within the corners of his mind. It was a term he'd rather forget, though in the end, he chose not to, for one reason or another. And yet, here Alexis was, oblivious to the meaning.

"Jay?"

He blinked, regaining himself through the confusion. "Sorry," he said, as he brought the envelop to his side. "The Witching Hour refers to the time between 3 to 5 in the morning. Back then, they say that all the witches and demons came out to do magic during that time. Everyone, especially women, was questioned whenever they appear at that time, and if they didn't have an excuse as to why they were out so late, rumors would fly around that they were witches."

"Was it true?"

"No," he continued.

"Then why's it called the Witching Hour?" she demanded impatiently.

He fought down a chuckle. "It's usually when the most deaths occur. Your immune system is actually at its weakest during that time, so it's hard for your body to fight back. And even then, the fatigue just wears you down. If something really bad happens to you, and you wind up in the ER, your chances of surviving during that time are minimal at best. Those chances go down if you've got a bad infection."

"How do you know all of this?"

"I _read,"_ he teased playfully, causing Alexis to pout. He stared at her for a while, before returning back to the envelop.

"But we're going, right?"

Jaden nodded. "The Black Rose will be there, and if the guy has the same collar as the others, then it'd be worth looking into."

"What if it's just some fashion statement they're making?"

"…I sincerely doubt that. And besides, the Black Rose is supposed to be there, along with their goons. We'll just hide out somewhere and see where this leads us."

Alexis bit her lip. "We really could use Yusei's help-"

Jaden turned to her, with an incredulous look on his face. "Are you kidding? I already told you; Yusei's got more than enough to deal with right now."

"But he was there, during the hijacking."

"It doesn't matter, and that goes for Aki too. They aren't getting involved anymore than they have to."

"Akiza should know about this."

"So? You don't believe what Raines says-"

"I don't," she said vehenemently. Carefully, she picked the envelop from his hands, all the while sliding the chessboard over to Jaden. "I've just got a weird feeling that…that we should tell them, before things get bad. Really bad."

He stared at her for a while, before sighing. Slowly, he came forward, and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist. He could feel her heart pounding against her chest as he held her close. He drew his lips toward her ear then. "It'll be okay."

"But-"

"Lex, we'll be fine."

She clutched the envelop tightly. "Promise?"

"Promise."

Alexis said nothing more after that evening.

* * *

Yusei came into the room, the morning light reflected across the blinds. His brown gloves gripped the handle tightly, as he shut the door, never once taking his eyes off a young woman, who was sitting in the hospital bed, with an expectant smile on her face.

Those familiar, golden eyes flickered up to him, a quiet, somewhat reserved smile on her face. As he came to her, his hands in his pockets, he couldn't help but look down at the casts on her arm and leg, and he resisted the urge to wince. Still, the book in her lap was a nice distraction; a small, black bag was settled against the bed frame, along with a few textbooks stacked on the table nearby. She was wrapped in white hospital blankets, the pillows resting behind her nestled comfortably against the bed frame. Much to his relief, the blood bag was gone, as was the IV.

It was only this morning that her father called, joyfully saying that Akiza was awake. Yusei could still recall the excitement in his voice, could practically see the tears welling up in the man's eyes, though just from the call alone, that was probably what'd happened. Only seconds after that call, Yusei told Jaden and his friend about it, saying that they could see her when they were finished with school. Though they were a bit disappointed, in the end, he could still hear the girl's excited voice in the background, even as Jaden kept on talking with him. It would've ended on a solemn note, if not for the fact Yusei said, "Alexis is cute," before hanging up.

That girl was so different from Jaden. Normal and carefree, unlike the rebellious, stiff way Jaden usually held himself to; she didn't have the same high standards, and whenever she spoke to Jack and Crow, it was as if, when she left, she'd never see them again; it was probably through that logic she behaved the way she did.. Then of course, she probably treated every stranger like that; she didn't have a clue about personal space. And yet, with Yusei there was a simple familiarity there, the atmosphere around her enveloping him with amiability. She acted like she'd known him for a while, and he her.

The way Jaden grabbed her, the scowl so very reminiscent of a memory Yusei couldn't even begin to dredge up. It left him standing there, in front of that door, wondering how he could've forgotten her to begin with.

But that's just it.

He's never met her.

"Hey," Akiza called.

He smiled, as he walked over to her bedside, drowning out his thoughts. "Hey yourself," he replied. "How do you feel?"

She shrugged. "I've been better," she answered, folding a single corner of a page in the book. "The doctor still wants me here for the next few days. After that, I can go back to school."

"That's great. Jaden was asking about you the other day."

She blinked. "You two know each other?"

"We go back," he explained, pulling up a small, green chair just beside her bed. "They can't wait to see you."

She laughed lightly. "So, have you met her yet? Alexis?"

Yusei nodded. "Yeah," he answered, recalling the playful moments both Jaden and she shared together, however few they were. He narrowed his eyes, but the troubling second passed quickly. "They really are inseparable, aren't they?"

"You know, Lexi's the girl I always help." She laughed sheepishly, with a tiny, cute blush slowly enveloping her cheeks. "She's always calling me at 3 or 4 in the morning, just to get me to help her with her essay."

"So the other day, when you told me you stayed up late-"

"That's the one. Honestly, if I'm not there I don't know what she'd do. I think Jaden's already fed up with her."

Slowly, Yusei shook her head. That girl…was important to him, no matter how abnormal she might've seemed. They needed each other; what anyone else said about them wasn't important.

 _She talks about you all the time? Used to visit you, like, every_ week _?_

"There's no way," Yusei murmured softly. "He likes her too much."

Akiza raised an amused eyebrow, along with a playful smirk resting on her lips. "Well, I guess it's no surprise. They're always together, even at school."

"I figured."

"But it's nice. A little distraction from all the stresses in life."

 _You were there with Aki during the hijacking, right? We were just wondering if you saw anything weird._

"Akiza," Yusei began.

"Hmm?"

He stared at the empty space in front of him, the thoughts racing past him conspicuously. Alexis mentioned something about the hijacking; from what he could remember, she wanted to tell Yusei something else, before Jaden dragged her away. She told him not to worry, though of course, by then it was a moot point. She also told him they were investigating the link between the murders.

And just like that, that girl, the one that officer killed, came to mind. She, along with the gun, as well as the box of cyanide, all of which were still sitting in the garage. Mangled bodies quickly reappeared in his brain, but it wasn't long before he shoved them away frustratedly. He simply turned to Akiza, a small frown grazing his features.

Akiza returned his even gaze, before smiling. "Well, what is it?" she urged. "If those two caused trouble for you, I'd be happy to make it up to you."

"Do you remember…the hostage crisis? Back at the mall?"

Confusion crossed her delicate features. "Hostage?"

"Yes."

Akiza furrowed her eyebrows, before leaning back in her pillow. She thought for a while, then turned back to Yusei, a concerned light in her eyes. "I remember. What about it?"

"What happened before we got there?"

She paused for a moment, as she stared at him with an incredulous gaze. "What're you talking about?"

Yusei narrowed his eyes. "You were taken hostage, along with some other people? You were hurt, so they took you to the hospital?"

"What are you _talking_ about?" she repeated.

"What?"

"I mean, I saw it on the news, but-"

He blinked. "You were _injured;_ the ambulance took you to the hospital."

"If you mean all this," she started, her eyes gazing ahead over her body, "I was just in a really bad car accident."

Accident?

Akiza started laughing at her own, apparent clumsiness. "It was really bad. I guess I should be a bit more careful from now on. You know, my dad wanted the chauffeur to drive me everywhere; it took me a while to get him to change his mind."

"Akiza…Akiza you were-"

"But yeah, I've heard of the hostage crisis," she kept on. "It was all over the news. Honestly, ever since they showed the images, I've been getting a lot of texts from people. Strangers, teachers, students; they think I had something to do with it."

"That's…that's-"

"But it was only for a little while. I guess those two took care of everything."

Disbelief clouded his expression. He examined every inch of her face, trying to determine if she was being serious or not, if this was just some elaborate prank she wanted to get away with. And yet, as time passed, and as she kept fumbling around with so many predictable topics, Yusei's eyes widened.

She wasn't joking.

 _Apparently, the hijacking was linked to the murders, and the ones who held all those people hostage were responsible for them._

"Yusei?"

"I see," he slowly began. An uneasy smile came across his face, and though he knew it wasn't convincing, somehow, the confusion ebbed away from Akiza. "Are you okay?"

"Well, like I said, I should be out of here in the next couple of days. How's the engine, by the way?"

"Fine," he answered awkwardly, trying to carry on as if nothing had happened.

* * *

Angela flipped through the contents of the file, carefully browsing through the medical records with ease. Her gripped the edges tightly, the charts and graphs immediately splayed across her vision. Prescriptions the hospital called in, along with the many lab results she hadn't known had existed, lay there before her, all in one messy pile upon her desk. She bit her lip, as she thrust one paper away before going onto the next; list of drugs, medications, the dosages, all of which were there, right in front of her for the taking. Her mind briefly went back to the hostage crisis, before coming to the present once again, as she reviewed the list of usages over and over again. _Akiza_ appeared up on the headings, with her picture neatly stapled to the front. Other names stuck out, familiar names she had no memory of seeing. She grabbed her pen and wrote the names down, before looking back and reading through the records.

Apparently, the girl's been to the hospital once a month, for the past three years. During that time, the doctors in that hospital have been steadily increasing her doses, all the while giving her more and more medication. Her heart rate was ordinary, according to the doctors; lab results, surgeries, practically anything Angela saw was normal for Izinski. She narrowed her eyes, as she looked back at the list of drugs they administered. While a few were for the pain, a majority of the drugs were for memory loss. Whatever happened that was so bad for Izinski was something Angela was still trying to figure out. How the girl was even _alive_ was yet another mystery the reporter had to delve into.

She rubbed the back of her neck. She knew this was big, so big she could turn her entire reputation around. She could write dozens of articles about this, so much so the editor would let her drop this case. She could move on with her life, with this major credential in tow, maybe work for some high-rise company somewhere. And if Yuki and his friend decided to work with Angela once again, she'd be more than happy to take them on, as long as they did everything she told them to.

At the very least, the temptation should've been there. The computer was write in front of her, and the editor was just upstairs.

But for some reason, she couldn't write.

She _wouldn't_.

As her eyes scanned through the documents, she couldn't help but find more and more files piled up inside, the repetitive conclusions already based on her findings. She was about to close the file, when she saw Yuki's photo inside.

Yuki, and Alexis.

They were both staring up at her, with dull, lifeless eyes, their seemingly obedient expressions almost frightening. Frowns danced upon their lips, replacing those playful scowls and grins she'd gotten so used to their lively dispositions gone from their faces. The two were dressed in hospital gowns, their emaciated frames so clearly shown from within the pictures. Pale skin, with dark bruises covering their limbs, and scars, so many scars, all of which were still bleeding; she was going to be sick.

And then she caught the date.

March 9th.

Yesterday.

As Angela flipped through the files, she thought back to the kid and his friend, both of whom she thought were healthy enough. Were they in the same condition as Izinski? No; their medication list wasn't nearly as long, and judging from their outward appearances, they were ordinary. And besides, if they really were that sick, shouldn't they be staying in the hospital? And Yuki stated on his application that he wasn't on any drugs. Was he lying?

And then she stopped.

Yusei Fudo stared up at her, with a simple, black rose attached to his throat.


	15. Chapter 15

Angela checked her watch, her leg bouncing nervously at the thought of the somewhat formal meeting. Her hands were neatly placed in front of her, with a small, white coffee cup staring back at her. She rapped her fingernails impatiently against the table, as she leaned back in her seat, her nerves already beginning to get to her. Okay, calm down; there's no reason for them _not_ to come. This was an _internship_ they were talking about, and if Yuki didn't show, she could just fire him. There's plenty of people willing to come to her for the case.

And yet, in the back of her mind, she knew that wasn't the case. In the end, no matter how she worded it, _she_ needed them; it wasn't the other way around. Unlike her, they knew where to get their information, what to do with it, what lengths they had to go in order to obtain it. Unlike her, they were so… _diligent,_ in what they did, that it was a bit frightening.

Compared to them, she was nothing.

It's the reason why she called them this morning, either Yuki or Alexis. She left a message on their phones, telling them to meet her at the Cafe la Green at two today. Either one was fine, and she was more than willing to pay for them for whatever meal they wanted. Though of course, they might just take advantage of it, and decide to buy out the entire restaurant; they seemed manipulative enough to do something as heinous as that. Still, it wasn't like Angela had much of a choice; though they didn't know it, they've got the upper hand here.

She breathed a deep sigh, her mind returning to the medical files. How should she approach this? She didn't want to make a fool of herself again, as she had done so many times before. Then again, she didn't want to let them off too easily; they weren't celebrities after all, so she had no reason to tear them down. A part of her was genuinely concerned for them, but despite that, she couldn't shake off her own, morbid curiosities. The fact that they know Izinski was already a plus for her, and if it turns out they know Yusei too, that's just another reason for her to start investigating.

Ever since Yusei Fudo won the Fortune Cup, people questioned the legitimacy of his victory. Even now, months after the tournament, as did the prejudice against Satellite residents, there are people who are trying to get a hold of his background, trying to pinpoint any crimes he's committed in the past, if only to tear him down bit by bit. What's more, the rose on his throat seemed so familiar to the hijackers from the mall. She could practically see the headlines now, the rumors circulating about. Was there a conspiracy? Did Yusei Fudo really beat Jack Atlas? Did the reigning champ have something to do with the murders?

Once again, her eyes flicked over uncertainly to her watch. Ten before two, and still no sign of them.

"Ms. Raines?"

She looked up, and saw Alexis standing there, her arms behind her back. She was wearing a white sundress, and though her long, blond hair was down, a tiny, skull headband nestled against the left side of her head. Those large, brown eyes stared down at her, regarding Angela warily as she came forward, unsure of whether she should sit down. "Sorry," she said softly. "Jaden had something he needed to take care of."

"It's fine," she said, as she gestured Alexis to sit down. Fortunately, the girl did. "To be perfectly honest, I don't think I want to talk about the case for a while. You're welcome to share what you know though."

Alexis shook her head. "Nothing new."

She fought down an annoyed grimace, as she pulled on a half-assed smile. "That's alright. Can I buy you anything? Some coffee? A muffin maybe?"

"I'm fine Ms. Raines," Alexis answered calmly. She sat up in her seat, those same, unwavering eyes eerily staring back at Angela. The reporter gazed at them for a while, her own reflection regarding her with an even stare, before she turned away. "So what is it? Anything in particular you'd want to know?"

Angela raised a curious eyebrow. "Alexis, what's wrong with me buying something for the two of you? You both worked hard, after all-"

The girl scrunched up her nose. "That very scenario. Ms. Raines, this isn't normal, even for you."

"I-"

"If you have something you need to ask, then ask," Alexis stated. "There's no need for you to buy anything for Jaden and me. We have enough."

"So you live together?"

"In a way."

She regarded the girl for some time, before nodding, and settling back in her seat. This was…a bit unexpected; to think Alexis would actually comply with a strange request as this. What was her game? Was she just trying to mess with Angela, or was this just another chore for her? Still, Angela wasn't really in a position to ask much of anything, so she kept on with the conversation. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure ma'am."

"Is ah, is Jaden okay with this too?"

She simply shrugged. "We both knew this was going to happen. I just wanted to see what you needed to ask us; that's all."

Angela narrowed her eyes, as heat flashed her face. Then, without fail, she turned back to her purse, and pulled out a single notepad and pen. All the while, Alexis was just sitting there, as if nothing was wrong with the world.

Completely blank, just like in the photograph.

"This won't take long," Angela reassured.

"Right."

She took a deep breath. "I take it you're close friends with Ms. Akiza Izinski?"

She nodded. "We go to the same school together. She always helps me with my homework."

"Jaden too?"

"Yes."

Angela bit her lip. "So you both have gone to see her in the hospital then, right? Right after the hijacking incident."

"Jaden did. I had to do other stuff, but I did call to make sure she was okay."

"That's all?"

"Yes."

"So, going off of that, at any point in time, were you or Jaden hospitalized?"

"No."

Angela stopped, then looked up. "No?"

Alexis blinked. "At least, I don't think so. I mean, it's been a while since I had my last shot. And that was in a clinic. But the clinic was in the hospital, so I guess…"

"And when was that?"

"When was what?"

"The date of your shot?"

Alexis stared down at her hands, as she thought back to the years she had the stupid thing. Finally, she looked up. "Two, maybe three years ago?"

Angela wrote it down, all the while thinking back on the files. Just yesterday she was hospitalized, along with Yuki. As for Yusei, she'd no idea what to make of him being there. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Alexis peeking over at her notes, and before long, the reporter gazed up at her. "You're sure about that?"

"I'm sure."

This didn't make any sense. The photographs were recent, and unless someone put down the wrong date, there was nothing else Angela could pull from this, especially if Alexis was just going to the same thing over. "Now, getting back to the subject with Akiza-"

"You want to know if we know Yusei Fudo, right?"

Her lips parted slightly. Alexis sat back in her seat then, with a playful smirk on her face. "It's fine; people ask us that a lot. Yeah, we do. He's a good friend of ours too."

It was the first time Angela saw Alexis act this way. Automatically, her eyes softened then. "When did you meet him?"

"When Jaden and I transferred in."

"When"

"That was," she began, the words easily flowing out from her mouth. And yet, as soon as she opened it, she stopped.

Confusion came across her face, and she stared back down at her hands. As the silence dragged on, with a bit of emotion from her wide eyes, Angela stared back down. "Alexis-"

"Sometime last year."

"Excuse me?"

"I can't remember when," the girl said quietly. "But it was sometime last year."

Quickly, Angela switched to another topic, though she kept Alexis's hesitation in mind. "Let's move on. So, can you tell me why you transferred here? Where'd you and Jaden live before that?"

Again, Alexis was at a loss for words. But still, she managed to dredge something out from her brain. "I…Jaden and I heard about the curriculum here. And some relatives of ours used to live here too, before they died…As for where we lived, I think it was…somewhere in Poland…?"

Angela gripped her pen tightly. Normally, Alexis was more focused than this. She answered questions directly, and she didn't like playing around. She was never fond of niceties, and if someone tried being the slightest bit polite to her, she would simply give them the same, blank stare she gave Angela. She knew full well the world was filled with manipulative people, and it was probably through Jaden she learned about the cold reality of things. The fact that she was sitting here, struggling to answer even the simplest of questions, was odd. "Poland?"

She nodded. "We were doing something there, something really important, but I don't remember what."

"…Does Jaden know?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Why? Ms. Raines, is there something wrong?"

She stared at Alexis for the longest time. A certain innocence radiated from the girl, an ignorance Angela didn't think she'd see in anyone else. She recognized that same aura from Yuki, though his was more corrupted, more tainted. And when she thought back on it, she could see that kind of atmosphere around them, guarding them so very carefully, like they were fragile. Whenever she saw their faces, it seemed like tragedy loomed over them, ready to devour them the moment they realized they were heading to the adult world. They were always together, those two, and perhaps the only time Angela had ever seen them separated was today.

She realized she waited too long, and hastily, Angela shook her head. "Nothing. Let's move on."

Alexis nodded. "Okay."

The reporter fumbled with the notes she took down yesterday, as scanning her messy handwriting for the names. Finally, she found them, and looked back up at Alexis. "So then, by any chance, would you know someone by the name of Christoph Izinski?"

She smiled. "I do."

"How about Arise? Have you ever heard of that name?"

She nodded.

"From where?"

"I don't know," she answered simply. "I figured it's just the name of some famous celebrity or something."

Angela narrowed her eyes, though she kept up with her bright facade. "What about Nikolai?"

"I have."

"From where?"

"I don't remember."

Just then, Angela's phone vibrated. Annoyed, she stole a look down, before returning to Alexis with an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry, this'll only take a sec." And with that, she examined the phone frustratedly, before pressing that same button and placing it on her phone. "I'm in the middle of something-"

"Angela! You have got to see this!"

The reporter blinked; she knew that voice.

That squeamish intern, the one from before.

Who the _fuck_ gave him her _number?_

"What is it?" she asked exasperatedly, as she looked back up to Alexis.

"Practically _everyone_ in the residential districts are being evacuated! Sector Security's getting all the heat right now!"

"But I-!"

"And the boss wants you over here, like, _now."_

* * *

Akiza plopped down on that red, lush couch, as her golden eyes gazed up at the warm, brown ceiling. The crystal chandelier dangling above reflected her even gaze back at her, all the while taking comfort in the quiet of the evening light. Just then, the clutches seemingly slipped from her grip, and without another thought, she removed the energy stabilizer from her hair, and set it beside her. She sighed, her hands coming around her waist to undo the red corset, before she stopped herself. Slowly, her hand came back to her lap, as she stared off at the empty space in front of her. She was so tired.

But then again, ever since she got back from the hospital, she's always been tired. Every day, she found it harder and harder to get out of bed, whether to go to school, or to Yusei's, or even to her own desk, if only to do some homework. A deep, dark, nagging feeling always pressed the back of her mind, and whenever she turned back, she saw a shadow, beckoning her, though of course, when she blinked, it was gone. Whenever someone called, she was more liable to leave the phone unanswered, even if it was Jaden, or Alexis, or even Yusei. She was suffering from earsplitting headaches, and her chest had been hurting too, so much so it's been hard to breathe. She kept telling herself that the medications would wear off soon enough, though even that was hard to believe.

Then of course, it wasn't all bad. As it turns out, she was a fast healer; the moment she came home, she realized she didn't need those casts. In fact, the next morning, somehow, her arm and leg had both healed. Though she kept the crutches because of her headaches, in the end she got a good deal out of it. Maybe it's because she spent all that time in the hospital, or perhaps this was just another benefit to being a Signer.

She took a deep breath, as her gaze fell to the floor. Before long, her thoughts wandered back to Yusei's worried face. The intensity of his normally stoic expression, the confusion marring his voice, the fact that he just went along with whatever she had to tell him, right after he said something about the mall hijacking… He was nervous, throughout the entire time he was with her. He carefully guarded his words, afraid that something would slip up. And whenever she asked him something, he'd simply answer in a way that kept the conversation going.

That was probably the first time he'd ever lied to her.

And what about Jaden and Alexis? When she was discharged, it's like those two disappeared from the face of the earth. She didn't see them around anymore, didn't see them trailing after her like they usually did. And even when she _did_ see them, it wasn't at school; rather, they'd be just sitting somewhere, whether it be in a park, or in a cafe, not speaking, their eyes turned away from one another. Akiza thought about going up to them so many times and asking them if something was wrong, but for some reason, she stopped herself. It looked serious, and she was afraid that if she got involved, she'd make things even more dramatic than they might already be. And judging from the looks on their face, that was probably the case.

 _You were taken hostage, along with some other people?_

Carefully, she moved her good arm toward her eyes, and examined a mark just beneath her black gloves. If something dangerous was happening, her mark would pick it up right away. After all, it'd been almost a year since their fight with the Dark signers; who knows what'd happened after that? And if the time comes for her to fight back, she'll be ready.

Just then, her cellphone rang. She jumped at the sound, before looking down at the couch. Slowly, she reached for it, flipped it open, and brought it to her ear. "Hello?" she asked.

Nothing.

"Hello?" she asked again.

"…Aki?"

"Jaden!" she exclaimed, the surprise pleasantly entwined in her tone. "I haven't heard from you in a while. How have you been?"

"Fine," he answered curtly, causing Akiza to freeze for a brief second. Did something happen between him and Alexis? "Hey, you mind if I ask you something?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Shoot."

"Where are you, right now?"

"I'm ah, in my house," she replied awkwardly. "So, how's Alexis? Is she doing okay?"

"Alright. Listen; sorry we haven't been around. We had to take care of a little problem, but we're fine now."

She blinked. "Are you guys okay?"

"We are. Actually, we were just tidying some things up before I called. So, you're really in your house, right?"

"Y-yeah."

"Living room?"

Akiza laughed playfully. She turned toward the door, trying to catch a glimpse of a familiar silhouette hiding around the corner. She'd almost forgotten they knew where the spare key was. "How'd you know that? Are some kind of psychic too?"

"No. Turn around."

She smirked, and turned, only to find Jaden standing there, with a gun pointed to her head.

* * *

Yusei stared down at the engine. His hands gripped the duel runner tightly, as he replayed Akiza's words in his mind.

A car accident.

 _She thinks it's a freaking car accident._

He bit his lip, his gaze falling to the duel disk in front of him. She wouldn't joke around, not with stuff like this, and from the way she was acting, seems she believes that's what really happened. She just kept moving on, never thinking about her injuries, or her own safety, for that matter. It was the reason why he never told her the hijacking, or the cyanide, or the fact Jaden and his little girlfriend were off doing something stupid. No, instead all he could give her was the engine's progress, as well as the old man who wanted Yusei to do something to his air conditioner.

And that's all that happened; there was no Jean Beaumont, no Black Rose coven, nothing but normal things, things Aki and he would talk about. Even now, when she's out of the hospital, he wouldn't allow himself to touch on the subject, for the vaguest assumption that she might be repressing those memories, however unlikely that is. Traumatized for life, emotionally scarred, PTSD; she was just too resilient for that, especially with how she handled the hostage crisis.

He closed his eyes then. As the days kept passing by, time slipping from his fingers, his nightmares became more and more vivid. The dead children before him, the memories from that time, along with dreams he couldn't even begin to make out; they were all there, taunting him. No, rather, they were toying with him, giving him riddles upon riddles to solve, without the possibility of any one answer. Sometimes, they involved Jaden and Alexis, both standing there, smiling, waving, calling out his name. Other times, they were of Akiza, who held a warm, genuine smile came upon her face, her own loveliness elegantly diffusing throughout her movements. She commanded his respect and admiration, and when he woke up, that same, quiet nostalgia pressed against his chest. Familiar faces, some from the hijacking, others from distant nightmares; all of it was there, laid out for him to see.

He couldn't muster up the courage to tell Jack and Crow about any of this. To them, this was all just some horrible mistake that'd blow over in a couple of days. And since Akiza was out of the hospital, there was a good chance they'll forget this completely. Nor could he tell Jaden or Alexis for the matter; he didn't want them getting mixed up in whatever psychological stresses he was dealing with. Blister, Martha, and everyone else probably wanted to move on from the crisis, ready to embrace the new era of peace they dread about for the longest time. Akiza was out of the question, probably because of his own protectiveness, possibly even an instinct. Perhaps even because of Yusei's own pride, which won't let him say anything; he wasn't one to burden anyone.

He turned his gaze to the cyanide box neatly sitting on the floor, which has, since then, been buried beneath diagrams and schematics for yet another new engine design. All the pills were still in there, along with the gun placed on top. Neither Trudge nor Mina never asked for it, so they both just sat there, waiting for a time when they could be of use again. Yusei should've thrown them out by now, but he ended up putting the chore off for some time. Finally, after a while, he simply just let them sit there, at least until Crow or Jack notices them again.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead. Well, just standing around isn't going to do much of anything. And he did promise Crow and Jack he'd fix the mainframe by the end of the week; might as well do something useful.

Yusei was just about to start working again, when he heard a loud bang against the garage door. He stared at the door for a while, contemplating on if he should just wait for the person to go away, or answer it now. He then shrugged his shoulders, and went back to working. The power surge still needed work, and if the engine was going to recycle energy back into its compartments, probably the only thing he needed to mess around with was-

Another bang.

-was the rotator cuffs. Jack wants to drive faster, something Yusei wasn't sure of at this point. After all, the brakes still needed to be fixed.

"Hello?" a voice called.

Annoyed, Yusei stood up.

"It's open!" he called, before continuing on with his work. He could hear footsteps from outside walking toward the front door then. Slowly, he got up, and went toward his toolbox. If it was that old guy again, Yusei might just have to refuse him again; no amount of money is worth dealing with him.

He heard the door burst open. Immediately, Yusei looked up.

He found Thought Ruler Archfiend baring down at him.


	16. Chapter 16

Angela surveyed the crowds around her, quietly taking in the confusion splattered across their faces. Some were demanding the security guards for answers for why they were suddenly forced out, though most were just waiting patiently for the drill to be over. As usual, reporters gathered around Sector Security, the accusation so clearly written in their eyes. Bright flashes coated the vicinity, along with questions upon questions piling up against each other, each more intimidating than the last. Though the officers, were calm, stoic, in the end she could see them nervously backing away, all the while trying to act like the heroes everyone expected them to be. It was hard, that job.

Angela took a deep breath, never once bothering to join in on the fun. Alexis had just left the cafe when Angela told her what was going on. Apparently, the incident didn't affect them, and since she had better things to do, she went ahead and left. It seems Yuki felt the same way. In all honesty, Angela couldn't blame them; after all, why waste their time one something as mundane as this. It's not like this'd be the end of the world, and chances are this evacuation would only last for a couple more hours.

Still, Angela was a bit curious. It's not like there was anything major happening, and from what that stupid intern told her, it seems all this was is just an emergency drill. And if that was the case, she should've just stayed at the cafe; these days, the reporter found it harder and harder to respect her editor's desires.

Already she could hear the theories circulating through the bodies, drifting aimlessly from one person to another. By this time tomorrow she was probably going to get a dozen calls, talking about some stupid conspiracy theory the government's involved in. Who knows? Maybe the editor would rather have her report on _that_ then the murder case. Maybe that's why Angela was called here.

From the corner of her eyes, she could see Jack Atlas standing there, with some of his still adoring fans staring at him so very obsessively. There was another man with him, orange-haired, a former resident of the Satellite, judging by the marks on his face. Huh, those twins weren't with them; maybe they were still being evacuated. As is Izinski, and Yusei Fudo too. They, out of everyone here, were probably going to be the most pissed. Perhaps that's her next story, right there, screaming in front of her, the King and the other Fortune Cup participants, missing in action.

The same names from the files swirled back into her brain, as she stared up at those scarlet skies, the flaming orange piercing those normally serene clouds. Violent, with tense, golden shadows filling up the skies ahead, like an ominous warning whenever a storm drew near. They were beautiful, those skies; if she could, she'd reach up and touch the crimson, never bothering to let go of the melancholy. If someone stood there, the only thing she'd probably see was a silhouette, an archaic one, from long, long ago.

She smirked to herself then. Alexis doesn't remember anything; either that, or she's a really good actor. Still, though Angela tried again and again to find an explanation pertaining to the pictures' frightening similarities, from look-a-likes, to plastic surgeries (no record), she couldn't shake off her own suspicions. She remembered seeing Izinski there, in that room, wallowing in a sea of drugs, saw the photographs of Yuki, and Alexis, and Yusei Fudo, all of whom were seared into her memory. No matter what anyone said, Angela couldn't brush this aside; there was that same nagging feeling she got from when she saw the "suicide" in front of her, and the hijackers, who just kept shooting at everyone. This seemed to elaborate to be a joke, and though Angela knew she could show the files to Sector Security, it seems they've already their hands full. And besides, what with the spectacle they've created between themselves and the hospital, Angela was afraid she might damage any chance she'd have in getting clearance.

Ah, Alexis never showed her the pictures of the bodies. Did Angela want them later? Who knows?

The reporter looked back at Atlas. He was starting to get anxious about something, though she didn't know what. The orange-haired man was calming him down, but only barely, and already they were receiving attention from some very interested reporters. She could see the frustration on their faces, the agonizing wait as Security blew them all off, if only to come back to them a few moments later and ask them the same questions. Those two will never get anywhere like that, but she didn't say anything; it wasn't her problem to begin with.

"Calm down!" she heard the guards scream.

Calm down.

What a peculiarly haunting phrase.

Angela stared back up at those red skies again. Funny; even from here she couldn't see where the sun was. Just red, and red, and red, and red.

Atlas was making a fuss about something, something about Yusei. Ah, so he wanted to know where his friend was, right? He still wasn't back?

It's not like Yusei, to keep everyone waiting.

She caught a tiny raven, flying off in the distance, its dark feathers fluttering lightly to the ground. If she stayed still, she could see that tiny feather fall, dancing to the whims of that gentle, yet chaotic breeze. Her eyes followed it down, a strange melancholy settling at the pits of her stomach.

Just in the distance, she could hear the sounds of an alarm, ringing unpleasantly in the back of her head. Like an unwarranted wake-up call, from a wonderfully constructed dream.

* * *

Akiza felt a stinging pain glaze over her cheek, the force of the bullet flying past her so easily. She was about to stumble, but managed to catch herself, all the while staring at Jaden, her eyes wide with shock. Cold sweat dripped down her forehead, any traces of fatigue quickly leaving her without hesitation. She blanched at the gun pointed at her, at the cruel, callous light in his eyes, at the haughty smirk he had on his face.

"J-Jay?" was the first thing that came out of her mouth.

He was dressed in a single, tattered black sweater, with black jeans to go with it. Heavy silver chains cascaded down his legs, all of which clung to his pocket. He wore combat boots, with the very same chains wrapped around it, a small, red skull dangling from the side. When she looked down at his neck, she saw a stringed collar adorn his throat, with a tiny, black rose latched onto the side.

He looked just like the hijackers she saw on TV.

"Wow," he snickered, as he tore the gun away from her, twirling it around in his fingers. "You really _are_ sad. Takes just that much to get under your skin, huh?"

Slowly, Akiza regained her senses. She clutched her chest, as she stared at Jaden, hoping that this was just some sick prank he was playing. She barely managed to smile, the playfulness mood gone from beneath her. "What're…what're you doing?"

"Hmm? Come on, now you're _shaking_? Seems like the witch really has gotten soft"

He spun away then, with that same, amused grin on his face. "Still, I guess it's natural. I mean, he's been interested in you for a long time now-"

"Stop it."

"-but is he _serious?"_ he sneered, the scornful tone entwined within his words. _"_ You're just a weak little girl who can't even fend for herself. But what'd I know? It's not like he's going to listen anyways."

"Jaden!"

He paused for a brief moment, the disbelief clouding his eyes. It wasn't long before he began snickering, his eyes darkening after only a few seconds. "You're really slow, aren't you?"

Akiza clenched her fists then. There was no way, no possible way-

"What, you don't like this face?" Jaden asked then. "Well, what'd you expect from some damaged garbage anyways? You want to see someone else?"

Then she saw Alexis there.

Alexis, whose bright, innocent eyes were tainted in just the same way, her bright, lovely features darkened by the arrogant smile on her face. She had on a white, tattered dress, with tiny little pearls cascading down her sleeves. The skirt was puffy, almost like a delicate tutu aimlessly wandering around in its majesty. Her hair was tied into two, neat ponytails, with pink ribbons cascading down her bare shoulders. That same, black rose was strapped to her throat, the thorns more prominent with each second Akiza stared at it. She looked down then, Alexis, and whistled. "Huh, not bad. I kind of like this form; looks cute, right?"

Akiza gripped her sleeves tightly. "Who are you?" she asked finally.

That strange person stared at her for the longest time, before bursting out laughing. "Oh man!" it howled, as it swung its gun around in its hands, the utter hilariousness of it all greedily eating away at its breath. "W-wow, I guess I deserved that. I mean, I did almost kill you and everything-"

"W-what're you-?"

"-doing here?!" it finished easily, traces of humor still embedded in its tone "Ah, just my way of saying hello." It cleared its throat, and straightened, ready to, at the very least, be taken seriously. "My master wanted to know if the Black Rose received his invitation yet."

She narrowed her eyes. Her duel disk was in her room, as was her deck. Her chest was starting to burn again, and the headaches were coming back. Still, she managed to brush it aside, as she regarded the creature. "Invitation?"

It blinked. "Oh, he didn't get it?"

"What're you talking about?" she tried, only to heave heavily at her own words.

"How unusual," it continued, as it placed one hand on its cheek, all the while shaking its head. "I was sure to send it to one of the Queens. They should've gotten it at the morgue by now. Not good; he won't be happy about this at all. Not one bit…"

"W-wha-?"

"Well, can't do anything about this now, can I?" it stated, imitating the same smile Alexis smiled. It cocked its head, scrutinizing Akiza, but before long, it simply nodded. "Please inform the witch to meet the Rook at the Loreli Graveyard, on the night of the Worm Moon, before the witching hour. I understand he's a busy man, but surely he can make time for one of his precious nobles. I'm sure you agree."

Akiza gritted her teeth. Before she could open her mouth, she stopped, her vision becoming more and more blurry within the second. She took a deep, painful breath, before regaining herself again, the determination settled within her eyes.

And yet, somehow the creature kept on with its useless chatter. "No?" it asked incredulously, as it walked toward her, Alexis's sweet face still plastered over it. "Come now, I don't like repeating myself girl. You know, I think you _did_ get all that; you just like messing around a lot. I'm right, aren't I?"

She can't see.

"Hey, you hearing this?" it asked, as it hovered just a few inches away from her face.

She was clutching her chest.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you."

She was losing her balance.

It caught her, just when she was about to fall. She felt its hands against her cheeks, as it cradled her face upwards, with a frustrated smile painted over its lips. Blue eyes stared down at her, intense blue eyes, eyes she knew somewhere before. It repeated its instructions, all the while holding her burning body in its arms. And when it was done, it thrust her away, with a disgusted look on its face.

"Man," Yusei said coldly. "I've no idea what he sees in you. Pretty worthless, in my opinion."

When she blinked, he was gone.

* * *

Yusei narrowly dodged the attack, the wings beating against him as he did. The shock resonated throughout his body, all the while stumbling back, his hands groping the air for something, anything. The roars were piercing, the devastating nightmare already aiming for the killing blow. He stared up at it, and before he knew it, he leapt away again, only for the wing to smash into the duel runners. He landed with a hard thud against the garage door. It's coming.

Before he knew it, he ran out of the way, only for the monster to blow away the garage door, smashing itself into tiny little bits.

He clenched his fists, turning toward the person on the staircase.

Sayer.

The same, arrogant smirk was on his face. Olive green eyes scrutinized Yusei menacingly, with his own, red hair covering the other part of his scarred face. Bruises nestled along the lines of his neck, and when he rose his arm, Yusei could see a single, gold-platted duel disk strapped to the side. He donned a brown trench coat, and when Yusei looked down, he could already see an elongated shadow lingering nearby; another monster.

Yusei narrowed his eyes, and stood, the adrenaline fading from his system. "Been a while, hasn't it?" he heard Sayer say.

"What're you doing here?" he growled.

"My, you're in a good mood," the man said sarcastically, as he placed one hand on his hip. "So tell me, how does it feel?"

"What?"

"Oh don't tell me; you're really going to play this game?" He descended down the stairs, never once taking his eyes of Yusei. That same shadow began entwining around him, carefully splaying itself out just a mere inch away.

Yusei bit his lip, as he slowly stepped back, the image of his ruined duel runner seared into his brain. There's no way he can get to it, at least, not without that _thing_ around him doing something. And he was already out of the garage. "What'd you mean?" Yusei asked coyly, desperately searching for a way out of this situation.

Sayer scowled, the smile completely vanishing from his face. "I'm getting a little tired of your _games_. Still, I've got to admit you're a pretty good actor. You even had Goodwin fooled, didn't you?"

Yusei clenched his fists. "What the _hell are you-?"_

He was suddenly forced back, landing on the hard ground. All the breath was knocked out of his body. Yusei gout down a wince, as he looked up, Sayer stopping just a few yards away. "And to think; _Akiza_ bought your little facade. What'd you want from her anyways?"

There was a painful throbbing in Yusei's leg, though in the end, he still managed to stand, the resentment so bluntly written all over his face. "Oh yeah?" Yusei pressed, as he watched Sayer draw another card. He needed to get that deck away from him. "You _manipulated_ Akiza into doing _your_ dirty work. You really think she deserves being around creeps like you? And besides, how're you even _here_? Last time I saw you, you were being hauled away by Security."

"Funny," he muttered, as he placed yet another card along the edges of the duel disk. "Let's just say someone saw through your lies, and asked _me_ to handle it. Personally."

At that instant, a fireball came raging toward it missed, familiar sounds of destruction echoed behind Yusei, the flames scattering all over. Processions of silhouettes danced around him as he looked on, his mind racing.

"I know that look," Sayer said quietly. "You're desperate; I've finally got you cornered. And if you're thinking about hiding behind everyone here, you're too late. This area's already been evacuated."

Yusei stared up at Sayer uneasily, yet another fireball formalizing just in front of him. He bit the inside of his cheek, as he dodged the fire, the embers scorching his skin. He could hear the monsters already behind him, with Sayer's dark chuckling just trailing behind. Cold sweat came down his forehead, the panic thundering throughout his chest, as he searched the area, trying to get out of the way.

When Yusei turned back, he could see Psychic Commander behind him. A barrage of bullets instantly sounded against his eardrums, and without thinking, he rounded the corner. Sayer's shadow stayed behind that corner, as the monster continued firing, destroying every little thing in sight. Yusei stared at the two monsters, knowing full well the dead end behind him. From the corner of his eyes, he saw a glass window there, and just under it, a broken, rusted pipe.

"Sorry Zora," he muttered, before taking the pipe and breaking the window. He leapt inside, just as the bullets started firing. His eyes darted rapidly for any place to hide, before ducking beneath the table, and waiting for the range to end. It was then Yusei replayed what Sayer had said in his brain, the fear finally crashing down on him.

What was he _talking about?_

Everyone was _evacuated?_ What happened to Jack, and Crow, and Akiza, and the twins? Were they alright? Yusei _knew_ what Sayer was capable of, but he thought Security could hold the madman down. The Arcadia Movement, the Dark Signers, the prejudice between the Satellite and Neo Domino; everything was gone from the moment they defeated Goodwin.

What's Sayer after anyways? What was he hoping to accomplish, just by coming here and attacking him? Was it Akiza? Did he want to bring back the Movement?"

"Come out!" he heard Sayer screech. "Nikolai, I know you're in there!"

Nikolai.

Nikolai Izinski.

That was the name, wasn't it?

Yusei clutched his fists. Slowly, he regained his senses, as the fear subsided. Unpleasant memories came forth, all the while his deep, dark eyes flickered towards the monster just drifting in the house.

The bullets stopped then. And with that, the Commander's eerie silhouette slowly drifted forth, quietly searching the room. Yusei kept his eyes down, his breathing gradually coming to a close. The alarm died down, and from then, he looked up. That shadow was with Sayer now, wasn't it?

Yusei carefully reached for the pipe, then quietly made his way out from underneath the table. So is that what this is? Sayer couldn't handle losing Akiza, as well as the rest of his precious Movement, so now he's hunting him down, if only to avenge his sullied pride. Nikolai did something to Sayer; more than likely Sayer was just looking for someone to blame, a person who probably had more influence than he ever will. Was the man jealous? Yes, considering how blindly he decided to attack Yusei. Though what he said before was a bit strange, in the end Yusei could dismiss the statements. Judging from the way he's wrecking everything, it's easy to say he could slip underneath him easily.

He lifted the pipe, and smashed it into the Psychic Commander. Yusei never bothered watching it getting thrust back, the crack in its helmet already evident of its weaknesses. He came out of the window again, hissing in pain at the glass embedded in his palm. He raced out from the house, and saw that shadow getting ready to attack. Sayer narrowed his eyes. His lips started moving, though as of that point, Yusei ignored him; all that mattered was that stupid shadow.

He dragged the pipe down onto the ground. The shadow unwrapped around Sayer and charged, its beady little eyes darkly reflecting the flames around it. It kept zigzagging along the ground, trying to follow the sidewalk, while concentrating on Yusei at the same time. He grunted, as he dug the pipe into the ground, and shot it into the sky, the familiar sight of crimson adorning the air. He saw the tiny thing frozen in its tracks, and without another thought, he dug the pipe into that same shadow. From what he heard before, there were just two monsters Sayer summoned, that Archfiend and the Commander. When he turned back, he saw the man coming toward him, the Psychic Sword in hand.

He regarded Sayer evenly, as he tore the pipe away from the shadow and blocked Sayer's attack. Never once did he move his eyes away from the man, as he focused on the sounds, the flames already starting to die out. He was taking a step forward. Left. Then right.

Yusei dodged accordingly, stealing a glance at the man's duel disk. Sayer swung the sword left, right, slashing it wildly in mid-air, trying to cut Yusei. He easily made out where the sword was coming from, and it was through that did he thrust the pipe into Sayer's hand. Then, in that same moment, he knocked the sword away from Sayer, and moved in. Off-balance; if he was as childish as Yusei guessed he was, he was probably expecting that shadow to catch him, right? The moment Sayer turned back, trying to see if his tiny companion was still there, was when Yusei smirked. He dug the pipe into the disk, then swiped it away, shattering the disk with all his might.

Then, a searing pain erupted from his shoulder.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw Magical Android standing right behind him, with an emotionless expression on her face.

Yusei grimaced at the pain, but in the end he kept silent. He turned back, and saw Sayer standing there, clutching his arm, the blood running through his fingers. "Just give up," he muttered.

Sayer was a psychic duelist, just like Akiza.

"Don't try to deny it; I've got all the evidence I need."

A psychic duelists's prowess is determined by the level of concentration they put into bringing their cards to life.

"So don't make this harder than it has to be."

Even if it was linked to emotion, in the end, if the duelist isn't putting their all into damaging their opponents, what good can come of it?

Sayer chuckled. "Nikolai-"

It was at that precise moment Yusei found Sayer groveling on the ground pathetically, with the Magical Android disappearing before him.

Darkness enveloped him then.


	17. Chapter 17

Sayer leaned against the wall, tightly gripping his bleeding arm, the painful throbbing in his skull forcing him to stop. He bit down on his tongue to keep himself from screaming, all the while endeavoring to hold himself steady, his darkly stained fingers already garnering enough of his attention. His sleeve was drenched crimson, and scorch marks covered his nearly broken neck. Though his deck was safely in his pocket, however ruined they were, it weighed him down, like an anchor dragging him to the bottom of a seemingly endless ocean. His lungs were burning, and when he drew yet another breath, a sharp pang ache stabbed his chest. It wasn't long before he slammed himself to the ground, the stagnant air from the seemingly abandoned streets slaying him so very easily.

He stared down at the the gaping hole in his arm, the torn shreds of fabric messily covering it without the slightest bit of effort. He turned his attention to his left leg, which was so horribly twisted he had to wonder just how he managed to get this far. He was about to reach down and cradle it, when he stopped, emptily reminding himself of what'd happened the last time he tried doing that. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the tiny droplets of blood covering the clean pavement, the overbearing darkness not even bothering to shroud the fragile things away. He regarded it for some time, as he dug his phone out of his pocket, his trembling fingers slowly hovering over the numbers. That familiar humiliation resounded throughout his body, but soon, it was quickly replaced by shock, by horror, anything at all.

He'd never forget the expression Yusei had on his face. That blank stare, his dull eyes easily capturing any light swirling around it, the way those flames seemingly bended to the boy's will. Icy blue orbs stared Sayer down, with a simple glower that froze him in his place, never once letting him leave from their sight. He just stood there, with that same, rusty pipe in his hands. That same, simple frown came back to him, as he looked Sayer with that face, one that showed neither fear, nor resentment, nor pity, nor anger. Rather, something else had taken hold of the boy, a complex thought Sayer didn't want to touch, or a psychotic thought he didn't want to delve into.

During that night, Sayer had Yusei cornered. Psychic Commander would've blown him to bits, and if that didn't work, his little friend would've come and torn him apart. He still had two hours left before the evacuation was over, and since Yusei had nowhere else to hide, Sayer planned on dragging it out for as long as he could. And yet, despite his efforts, somehow, that Satellite managed to turn the tables. He not only took the Commander out, but he also decimated the monster Amrbosine gave him. And before he knew it, he was there, with Yusei charging for him, that a piercing, metal pipe in his hands.

It was then Sayer fell. All the breath was forced out of his body, as he began coughing up tiny, dark things, with blood oozing from his mouth. He could feel something twisting his leg, snapping every rib he had, breaking every bone, smashing every vein. And when he looked up, he could see the flames surrounding him, the embers burning him carelessly, recklessly. Feral flames, which were growing more and more out of control, held fast to the smoke clouding his vision. There was nothing left for Sayer could do, save writhe in agony as the torment went on. The only reason he even managed to escape was the fact Yusei had collapsed; at that instant, everything had vanished, leaving Sayer to hobble away.

Sayer clutched his phone fearfully, as he pressed the thing against his ear, taking care not to scream at the searing injuries coated throughout his body.

Organizing the evacuation, getting Yusei alone, all just to see this…this _monster._ That _monster_ was here, living with the very same people who persecuted _Sayer,_ who mocked only _Sayer,_ who tried everything they could just to wipe _Sayer_ and others like _him_ off the face of the earth.

And here Yusei was, just living off those people like it's nothing.

Sayer bit down a harsh laugh, wincing at the sharp pain that erupted from in his chest. This might be what they call situational irony; if Sayer had met Yusei before, he probably would've asked the boy to join the Movement. There was no way he could go up to Yusei now, after what he'd just seen. In fact, if he thought Akiza was so risky, Yusei might as well have pushed the Movement over the edge.

"Hello?" a sly, arrogant voice asked.

He gritted his teeth, his hands threatening to destroy the phone as he did. "…I did what…I did what you-"

"I know," Amrbosine replied demurely. "When you asked me to handle the evacuation, you were already up to something, weren't you? The reason why you're calling now is because-"

"I already did your damn dirty work," he hissed quietly, as he stared at the grey walls in front of him, the mold already covering some of the corners. "He's _psychic."_

"Is that what you're calling him?"

 _"_ Yusei's a _damn psychic."_

"I take it you've already done your research."

"Whatever," he dismissed, his eyes flickering to his leg. "Get someone over here."

"Don't worry, my men are already on their way. You're in the old residential area, just a few miles away from the boundary line, right? I'm impressed that you got that far, what with your condition and all."

He narrowed his eyes. "So you were watching."

"Naturally."

From the corner of his eyes, he could see a few familiar shadows scampering about. And along with it, voices he knew all too well. The evacuation drill wasn't supposed to end, at least, not until another ten minutes. "Where are you?" he growled.

"Just a few minutes more," she reassured. "I've already set a room up for you in the hospital, so you can rest easy." And with that, she hung up, leaving Sayer alone to deal with the silence. He sighed, as he shoved the phone back into his pocket.

There was really was nothing he could do, but just sit here, and wait.

And yet, even as he did, those strange memories still circled back to him, the abnormalities of the day pounding against his skull. If _this_ was the proof that woman was talking about, there was no way Sayer could ignore it, even if he wanted to. With the way he dueled Akiza back at the Fortune Cup, Sayer never suspected that Satellite for one bit. The very fact that he played the hero for the city, without a single mistake in his character; a true actor, a perfect liar. He seemed so genuine, even in Sayer's eyes.

But those tiny oddities came rushing back to him; the checks being awarded to the Arcadia Movement, the seemingly all-powerful monopoly he already had on the officials, the coincidence that the same officials were murdered, all by a group that hijacked a mall just days before. Even after all this, it was still hard to believe that Goodwin wasn't the culprit. The age-old bank account, the investments, all of which were still there, and everything else; it was all there, like the many scandals Sayer was employed to keep hidden.

He closed his eyes then, and sighed. Yusei Fudo, a fabrication of some stranger who probably didn't even have the right to be here. A monster who managed to fool everyone, who slipped between the cracks and went on living, as if nothing had ever happened. A manipulative bastard whose history was a complete mystery, whose powers were dangerous, the very same insanity flowing menacingly throughout his veins.

Sayer couldn't help but laugh.

Yusei was even worse than he is.

* * *

She sat back in her chair, bangs over her eyes, as she took in the silence. Tiny remnants of light still peeked out from the midnight blue, those bright, crisp stars contrasting to the shadows around them. Outside, she could hear the crowds roar on, as they struggled to go back to their old lives, all the while avariciously savoring those exciting, somewhat unpredictable moments. She could hear cars honking from behind the thin windows, the lively conversations taking place from just outside the building. She could hear every single voice fading gradually, as they all resumed their lives, with only but this memory to call their own. If she turned back, she might even see a few of her men down there, trying to get everyone up and running again, perhaps even fending off interrogations from curious bystanders.

In all honesty, she didn't expect Sayer to still be alive. Miraculous even, or at least, not when she last saw the witch; considering the injuries that idiot suffered from. But in the end, it doesn't matter; Sayer's seen what he's seen, and since he was a very prideful man, more than likely he'd want to challenge Izinski again. Though she did feel a bit sorry for him, his own ambition was just what she needed. And who knows? Maybe he might even rise up the ranks, become a higher ranked officer within the organization. It'll take him a while to get used to his own position, but even he should be able to recognize his current situation.

She closed her eyes, her fingers lightly drumming along the lines of the table. How long has it been since she started this hunt? How many decades have passed when she finally decided to hunt down the Black Rose, and annihilate him and his covens, not just for the things he's done, but for the countless number of lives lost during the fight, with so many children tossed aside if only for his own life? She'd forgotten how easily time passed by her, how quietly it seemed to move, without the slightest hints of it being there. It was haunting, that aspect, the notion that there was something wrong with her perception of things, from life, to reality, to dreams, to morals, to the fact that even the nightmares that came between. Tiny glimpses of the past, only to reveal themselves in a very unpleasant manner; what a very sinful way to live.

Softly, she turned around in that simple, black chair, and sat up. She rubbed her temples, the thoughts swirling around her head as pondered on them. It has been almost 18 years since the Black Rose had disappeared. Through his own coven she managed to find cooperative spies, but even they tell her that they haven't seen him. It was as if he'd fallen off the face of the earth, vanished without a trace, without a single hint of where he was heading. Perhaps he was just some dirty coward, trying to hide himself from the victims he knew he'd wronged, or maybe he'd died, and was buried somewhere in a shallow grave, where all the maggots had eaten his eyes out. Yes, that'd be the best scenario.

And yet, judging from the files she managed to secure from the city, as well as Sayer's recent encounter, it seems he was far from dead.

But it was too risky to move in yet. After all, Yusei Fudo was the hero of Neo Domino City. He's the King of Turbo Dueling, and wherever he goes, adoring fans would always follow. He's affiliated with Jack Atlas, with Sector Security, and even in this pathetic persona, he already has a bit of political influence, even if he started out as a nobody from the Satellite. Just coming _near_ him was difficult enough; the city, as well as a majority of the covens, still belong to the Black Rose.

At the same time, she wouldn't let that deter her. Fallen was almost exterminated by the previous witch, and there was no way Sarah would let that happen again. She'd come too far just to let it sink back in the depths of depravity. Too many people relied on Fallen now, and she couldn't afford to let them down. Besides which, there are other people, just like her, who wanted that bastard dead, powerful people, who wanted to make the world a better place, if only for that delicious thought of seeing his ugly face on death rose.

Then of course, even the most ugliest of roses had thorns.

Just then, her phone rang.

Slowly, she sat up, and read the collar ID; the Security Bureau. She narrowed her eyes, then grabbed the black thing and pressed against her ear. "Hello?"

"Ms. Amrbosine," one of the scientists said, the panic evident in his voice. Before long, he started stuttering all over, fumbling around with whatever words he was going to say. Sarah couldn't help but chuckle a little. "What is it?" she asked when she settled down, in the same, formal tone she used with everyone.

"We found something we want you to look at," he said quietly.

She narrowed her eyes. "If the Bureau getting sued again, just bribe the judge. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to-"

"No ma'am," he answered. "It's about a reporter. Ms. Angela Raines, I believe?"

"What about her?"

"Well, no…it's not her, per say. Well, it _is,_ but there's something else too. I'll send you the files."

"Fine."

"We ah," he added, clearing his throat as he did so, "we also have a defector."

"Defector?"

"Y-yes. Two, actually."

* * *

Flickering lights slowly died away from the shadows, the hollow wind resonating through the quiet. Metallic walls protected those lingering shadows from the cold, though their rusted appearance made it had for them to stay quiet. The holes in the ceiling scarcely hid the ghoulish moonlight from above, which illuminated the cobwebs in the corner, along with the ruined appearance of the edifice. The unstable columns were already giving way to even the tiniest of insects, yet even then, there was no room for disappointment. In fact, the atmosphere was incredibly lively, despite the dismal prospect of hollow victory, along with the fact that it might be abused again. All the same, it somehow ignored the silence coating its once loud tongue, and kept in mind the glorious days it once reigned, its delusional happiness scarcely knowing no bounds. As it kept up with this lie, the warehouse simply sat there, taking in its own neglect, the abandonment caressing every breeze that came through.

There were four shadows there, all of which led to four figures, standing alone in the darkness. All had pale, skin, their similar features eerily mirroring each other in graceless tact. They all had white scrubs on, clinging to their emaciated frames like a lifeboat. None had hair; only wounds covered their skulls, grotesque wounds, disgusting wounds, wounds with stitches, bleeding wounds, wounds that kept oozing out fluids, possibly any wound at all. Long, yellow nails came from their side, their cracked lips moving to the sounds of nonexistent words built up inside their throats. Each person had a single, vertical violet diamond, drawn over their left eye, a testament to the facade they were willing to play.

They kept shifting their weight from one leg to the next, anxiously waiting for their special something to show. They moved their mouths, pretending to whisper excitedly about the event that would transpire tonight, at the plainly distant nightmare so callously laid out in front of them. They were enjoying themselves, almost, seemingly waiting for someone famous. A celebrity? Perhaps a politician or two? Maybe even one of those models who kept appearing at every execution.

"Everyone," a single, lone voice called out.

They all stopped their clamor, and turned. A young girl stood there, with a petite smile on her face. Black hair came down her shoulders, with sparkling, green eyes to go with it. Her ivory skin contrasted so dearly to her bright red lips, a feature they all found enchanting. She was in that same, black dress again, as she had been for the past few decades, with her signature rose attached to her own neck. She paused for a moment, taking in their enthusiastic reactions, their claps, before she nodded, the pleasant air easing their tension. "How is everyone tonight?"

 _Good,_ they all seemed to say.

"I trust the Jack of Diamonds is doing well?"

They all snickered.

The girl smirked, before looking up toward the moon, her eyes softening at its eerie glare. "You know, there's something I don't understand about this world. Seems everyone these days is only after the title, nothing more. Can you believe it?"

They snorted in disgust.

"I can't believe it either. Especially with Fallen closing in, this is no time to start fighting amongst ourselves. But still, they all persist. I even heard from one of the knights that Drevis was making his move. And after all this time, after everything the witch has done for him; an utter betrayal, in my opinion."

 _Yes indeed_.

"He should die, shouldn't he?"

 _Yes, he should._

"And yet, despite all that, I still feel sorry for him, as for everyone else caught up in their own foolishness. I don't understand the obsession they have with this," she said, swinging her arms wildly in front of her, the empty space passing her with ease. "I mean, if he wanted to, he really could destroy them, you know?"

 _Yes, he can._

"Speaking of which," she added, "what about that woman?"

 _Woman?_

"Yes," she said dully, her amiable smile immediately disappearing from her lips. "That woman. She's always around him, and really, it's getting out of hand."

Only silence.

And yet, the young girl snorted. "He doesn't have time for such things. And he already has two Queens."

 _Ah, her._

"Anyways, she'll be dead in the next few weeks," she muttered, that innocent light coming away from her eyes. "There's no reason why he should spend so much time with her."

At that moment, quiet laughter echoed throughout the warehouse. "Looks like _someone's_ jealous."

She narrowed her eyes, and turned to the voice. She froze then, her mouth snapping shut, the color drained from her face. Her haughty smirk disappeared, replaced by a fearful gaze that held none of the confidence she had before.

The Black Rose.

And yet, as soon as she saw him, her lips parted slightly, her eyes wide with shock, she turned away, scoffing at the ludicrous thought. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, the disgust already evident in her features. "Of that thing?" she muttered. "Don't make me laugh. And don't use that form either; you look ridiculous."

The creature laughed, as it settled against a nearby column. Suspicious eyes surveyed the pawns around her, but then he turned back to her, a cautious smile dancing on his lips. "Ridiculous? From the looks of things, you seem to like staring at him a lot. Normally, I'd blush, but…"

"Just shut it," she barked, causing the pawns to flinch. With an amused grin, it stared out at the others, then looked back at her. "I take it they're _your_ spies? What would the commander think of that?"

"You're one to talk," she stated icily. "Salem, you're _facilitating_ the game, aren't you?"

"Now, now, no need to get so testy. I swear Ophelia, one of these days that devotion will be the end of you."

"Funny."

"And when that happens, I'll be sitting right beside you, laughing my ass off-"

"What is it?" she demanded then, resting the urge to slap the creature, if only to keep what little dignity she had left. "What could be so _important-?"_

"This _game,"_ he repeated arrogantly, perfectly imitating her tone just moments before, "is supposed to weed out all the weaklings, for when we fight Fallen again. And besides, you supported the idea, didn't you?"

He grinned at her wince, and continued. "As for that _woman,_ well, that's none of your business now, is it? What are you anyways? A knight? A pawn? How long as it been since you've conversed with our lord anyways?"

She was taken back. "I-!"

"And who knows? This _could_ get interesting," he explained further, folding his arms in front of his chest. "Everyone wants the title, or, at the very least, the position of Queen. Who wouldn't give an arm or leg to be _that_ close to the Black Rose?"

She didn't answer.

"Well?"

"Get out," she said in a hard voice.

Salem rose his hands, that irritating, relaxed expression on his face. "My, how boorish. No wonder he threw you away-"

" _Get out."_ she said again, the beautiful moonlight fading from her completely.


	18. Chapter 18

Akiza stared out at the horrified people clustering around their ruined homes. Ash decorated wood, with tiny puffs of smoke still lingering from whatever destruction the strange fire caused. Wood and brick was tossed around, with scorch marks decorating the ground carelessly. Small bullets shells were scattered everywhere, along with broken glass shimmering just a few inches away. From what she could hear from Zora's house, it seems both the kitchen and the living room were torn up, the remnants littered all over her floor. The woman kept screaming, kept crying, all the while grabbing people and making sure none of them did this, trying to catch any alleged witnesses endeavoring to sneak away from her.

And yet, despite that, what surprised her more was the fact that the guys' garage was completely destroyed. Though the duel runners were fine, as were the computers, the door was ripped open. There were claw marks all over the walls, and from the looks of things, the garage was also touched by the fires. Everything was torn apart, thrust aside like some oversized toddler had come in and started trashing everything in sight. Considering how neat the garage was before, Akiza couldn't help but just stand there, in awe of the devastation. It'd been a while since she last visited, and already things were this bad.

Apparently, the city had scheduled an evacuation just over a week ago. For some reason, Akiza never heard the alarm, though her parents managed to get out before anything else happened. They tried calling Akiza so many times, but she never answered. Her phone was on the entire time too, and every second she checked, there weren't any new messages. She never told them of course, and instead, just apologized over and over again, promising never to be so careless again. The fact that not just them, but Leo, Luna, Crow, and even Jack, tried calling her multiple times was a bit strange too.

Her mind flashed back to Yusei's callous smile, during that moment, and she shuddered.

That… _thing_ never left her memories, no matter how much she tried forgetting it. Its words kept echoing in the back of her mind, as she clenched her fists, dredging up its stinging insults from her brain. That smug smile, the immature elegance it carried, the way it held that gun, with its bullet barely grazing her cheek; it was looking for the Black Rose, a person that Akiza was connected to. It cared little for her, and, if anything, treated her like a nuisance. But as far as Akiza was concerned, she was the only one with that name, the only duelist. Then again. that creature could've meant something else entirely, something neither she nor anyone else knew anything about. But considering the fact that something like it even _existed,_ practically anything was possible.

As she entered the garage, her long shadow coolly blending with the surrounding darkness, she saw Jack and Crow standing there, their backs turned toward her. She paused for a brief second, before walking to their side, seeing their faces masked with frustration and anxiousness. She bit her lip, wondering if she should even be here, when they looked up, the surprise etched onto their faces.

Crow turned to her with apologetic smile on his face the tension still embedded in his eyes. "Sorry, but this isn't a good time-"

She shook her head, and returned his smile. "I just wanted to see if everything's alright."

"…I guess," he muttered, as he threw an expectant look to Jack, who scowled miserably at the mess. "No one was hurt at least, and the program's not hurt. Duel runners and engine are okay too."

She nodded, the relief plastered on her face. Soon, she started looking around, the sight of the duel runners completely erasing her trouble thoughts just seconds before. "Where's Yusei?" she asked.

Immediately, that smile fell from his face. "Hospital," he answered, after a long pause.

"What?"

Crow nodded. "True story. By the time we got here, we saw the ambulance and everything. Whisked him off like it was the end of the world or something."

"Have you tried visiting him?"

"Docs says he's not stable enough, so they aren't letting anyone through. Even Jack, and right now, he's _pissed."_

Akiza's lips parted. Automatically, her fingers rose, touching the already faded scar on her cheek, an anxious expression on her face. "What about you two? How are you-?"

"Fine. Oh hey, congrats on getting out of the hospital. I know things look bad, but still."

She offered him an uneasy grin. That's right; the side-effects from those drugs finally wore off. Akiza had been in such a hurry to get back to her old life she'd completely forgotten about it. "It's no problem."

"So hey," he said then, a sheepish smirk on his face, "mind telling me what'd happened?"

"What?"

"I mean, I know it's kind of late and all. But still, you had us all going there, what with that hostage situation and all."

She's heard this before. "You mean the one on TV?"

"Yeah! You know, you should've seen Yusei; Aki, he was freaking out when he found you there-"

"-and I was in the hospital for that, wasn't I?" she murmured quietly, reciting the assumptions Yusei carried before.

"Well, yeah. No one knew when you'd wake up, or if you were even gonna-"

"I was in a car crash."

"Huh?"

"I was walking," she corrected hesitantly, the hazy memories coming forth once again. "I dropped something, and I bent down to pick it up. A car hit me-"

She stopped, the confusion splattered all over Crow's face. She could feel the heat splayed against her cheeks, the words building up inside her throat. Though her mouth was moving, she couldn't hear anything; her mind began scattering all at once, so much so she had to take a step back, just to balance herself.

Crow, however, never noticed anything, and continued on. "Look, if you were in a car accident, I think I'd remember it. But anyways, I still can't believe you got that plan to work! You were so _badass_ , and Yusei's just standing there, like a boss. How'd you know what to do anyways?"

She recollected herself then, and stared up at Crow. "How'd…how'd I do what?"

"Um, the part where you got Yusei to go along with whatever?" he pressed, a mischievous smile dancing on the edge of his lips. "Told us himself! Said you wanted Sector Security…where? East? West? And you didn't even have to say anything! What? Is there more to your psychic powers than you're letting on? Can you, like, communicate with your mind or something? Hey, you think you can do that with me and Jack?"

Akiza slowly began shaking her head. "I…I don't-"

"Ah, I see how it is." he said then, all the while trying to mask his disappointment. "Don't worry, I won't bug you anymore about it. Still, it'd be kind of neat though; that way we wouldn't have to shout at the top of our lungs."

"Crow-"

"But it was kinda strange, the way you just collapsed like that. And you kept flinging everyone around, like they were rag dolls. Geez…"

"Jack," she suddenly called.

Crow jumped slightly, dragging himself out from his ramblings. Meanwhile, the blonde ignored her.

"Jack!"

He spun around, with that same, irritated face he always had. " _What_?" he hissed.

Crow shrugged his shoulders. "Seriously, you're still doing that?"

"What'd you expect?" Jack said rapidly. "Whatever happened here, someone _scratched_ the Phoenix Whirlwind! Along with all our other _runners_ -"

"Jack," Akiza repeated sternly, causing him to fall silent. "You were there, weren't you? During that hostage crisis?"

He was a bit taken back, but quickly, he relaxed. " _Yes?"_

"And you saw me there?"

"That's right. Akiza, I really don't have time for this-"

Akiza clenched her fists. "Where's Yusei staying?"

"At the General Hospital," Crow answered. "But like we said, they aren't letting anyone in-"

"That's fine," she dismissed, before turning around, and walking away.

* * *

His eyes traced over the elegant lining of the envelop, the tiny rose sticker stuck somewhere on one of Alexis's stuffed animals. He examined it for a while, before turning his attention back to the words, rereading them over and over again, attempting to determine if there were any hidden meanings behind it, anything he could've missed. But no matter what angle he used, in the end, the same message was there, with the same tension embedded within the intricate designs. Jaden closed his eyes and sighed then, the letter dropping from his fingers the moment his hand hit the covers. He bit the inside of his cheek, and gazed up at the white ceiling, his limbs stretching out as they did.

They were in Alexis's apartment today. He was in the same, dark jeans he was too lazy to change out of, with a black undershirt covering his torso. His blue blazer was thrust onto the bed, buried beneath colorful pillows and those weird, pink sock puppets Alexis made just last month. Right next to them was her own blazer, with that annoying, orange ribbon wrapped meticulously around the sleeves. He regarded it for a while, before looking down at the same girl, who was curled up next to him, with a tiny frown grazing her face. He held her hand in his left, and with his right, brushed aside the stray strands obstructing her worried expression. She grunted a bit, but she managed to settle down, and turned away.

Twilight grazed over the horizon, the clear night sky isolating them from whatever problems were down below. Bright car lights were reflected against pristine, white curtains, and though the sound never reached in the room, Jaden could practically hear the frustrated voices, the angry remarks, the cursing and swearing racing across the robust atmosphere. Glittering buildings reflected back the starlight, their own appearances unchanging, despite the procession of fluorescence from both the skies, and the streets. Dark clouds ominously circled the city, and just in the background, he made out lonely stars lingering near their light blue lights, their fragile beauty claiming anyone's attention almost easily. As he sat there, looking out at the scenery, he couldn't help but think of Alexis's apartment as yet another home, a temporal one with no definite beginning, or end.

Alexis had told him what'd happened with Raines. Why that woman asked them if they were at the hospital, or if Alexis knew anyone by names they've never known, was strange. And from the way Alexis described the encounter, it almost sounded like Raines was interrogating her, as if the girl had something to do with whatever shit was going on in the city. The reporter didn't even bother bringing up details about the case; in fact she even said she didn't want to talk about that at that moment. Did she find something new? Something that pertained to them, and only them, and for the longest time?

As Alexis recited the questions Raines asked her, he could only think about the suspicions the reporter's harbored against them. Well, it was natural; after all, she refused to do her own dirty work. Maybe she was trying to make sure she didn't get caught.

Still, Jaden knew that wasn't it. It just didn't seem like her. It wasn't her style, or at least, not anymore.

She did ask about Yusei, and though it was brief, it was enough to catch Jaden's attention. No, she wasn't looking for connections; rather, something else, something neither he nor Alexis knew anything about. What was she going off of anyways, that reporter? What was she basing her questions from?

Akiza had called them earlier today, saying that she was going to visit Yusei; apparently, the garage had been destroyed, and with the exception of everything else important. It sounded like she wanted to say more, but for some reason, she didn't. Ever since that call, neither Jaden nor Alexis have heard from her. He gripped her hand tightly, his eyes once again straying to that single letter, sitting there, beckoning him to open it and read it again and again and again.

When?

When did they transfer in? Where'd they come from? Alexis said they travelled from Poland, but that didn't seem right, and she knew it. It was as if they were just…here, living off some cosmic coincidence, carrying memories that might've had absolutely no significance to them, whether that be day or night. There was nothing at all either could do, save simply allowing everything to pass by them, without getting any answers in return.

The murderers from the mall, the funeral director letting them in after seeing the bodies, the fact that there was a letter, hidden away in the shelves, a letter that wasn't there before. And yet, that same director was all too eager to let them in, as if he were inviting her to a simple party, where anyone could come, anyone could stumble in. According to her, he didn't have any reservations in her going down to the basement, nor did he do anything to stop her.

The Queens to the Black Rose, the Rook, the King…

"Jay."

He was startled by that tiny voice in the darkness. Before long, he looked down, and relaxed, the tension fading from his shoulders. He gave her a gentle smile, as he leaned over, and pulled the covers over Alexis's body. "Are you still sleeping?"

Slowly, she shook her head, gripping his hand just a bit tighter. "I had a bad dream," she murmured softly.

"About what?"

She started to say something, before turning her face away, snuggling closer against his side. Jaden gave her an amused chuckle, as he shifted to his side, both arms cradling her tightly. His hands held her face sternly. "Come on," he urged. "What is it?"

She looked down.

"Alexis-"

"We were running."

"We?"

She nodded. "Me and you. I think I saw Yusei somewhere, in that dream."

"Really?"

"We were all running away from something. There was red and black everywhere. I remembered seeing a light somewhere, but I can't remember."

Jaden placed his forehead against hers. "Then what happened?"

"Monsters came and ate us."

"Monsters?"

Again, she nodded, wrapping both arms tightly around his waist and burying her face in his chest. Her hands slowly dragged him beneath the covers, into the underlying darkness, with that same, shaken tone entwined in her voice. "Monsters," she reaffirmed. "When I walked up to them, they had claws and fangs. And they were all laughing, laughing like insane people."

He narrowed his eyes. "Then?"

She looked up. "And then we were eaten alive."

* * *

There they were again.

Those children.

Their cold, glassy eyes wallowed in crimson, a hint of dark azure carefully surrounding their pupils. Limbs upon limbs piled on one another, their bones carefully absorbing whatever trash their marrows managed to throw up. Some had holes in their chests, others none, though all had pieces of skin ripped away from them, their own organs spewing out of their tiny chests, for everyone to see. Wrapped in chains, then suffocated, quartered, hanged, burned alive, decapitated, stabbed; the list was endless, the mysteries of their deaths so very much like an illusion no one dared shatter.

And yet, despite all that, for some reason, they were all smiling. Yes, the smiles were grotesquely stitched on, the tiny strings dripping with saliva and anesthesia, and yes, they were forced, plastered onto their lips without the vaguest thoughts of what'd happen had they decided to remain awake. But they were smiling, nonetheless.

He had no idea how long he was there, looking at them.

Frostbite touched his fingertips, the edge of darkness shrouding his vision with hazy shadows. There wasn't a single touch of remorse within his piercing, icy eyes, a blank expression softly gazing out at them. A tiny frown danced over the edge of his lips, and though a bit of confusion marred his expression, in the end, he simply stood there, not feeling much of anything.

Questions kept racing through his mind, a few relevant, most irrelevant. They were smiling right? But their smiles were forced. Then again, it wasn't any of his business, was it? Still, were they supposed to be lying there like that? Perhaps they were just sleeping, waiting for a warmth that'd never existed, or maybe even comfort that held no significance. Were they dreaming of something? Was it pleasant? Was it bad? Was that bad dream why their smiles are so disgusting now? Were they lying to him? Were they acting? Could they even act, especially when they were like this?

If they were acting, then what were their dreams? Was it like some kind of play? Were they the actors? The critics? The audience? Did they share the script with each other, all the while barring outsiders from their world? Were they happy with their performance, or did they scold themselves for being such amateurs? He could see them now, arguing with the little directors in their heads about where the dream should and shouldn't go.

It was funny.

"Hey."

Quietly, he turned to the sound of the voice, and found a young woman standing there, just behind him. She had long, mahogany bangs, with cropped hair that reached to her shoulders. She wore a simple, black dress, the skirt carefully covering her bare feet. Feral, golden robs stared back at him in utter amusement, her creamy complexion contrasting to the darkness around them. She had her hands against her side; a subtly humorous smile was painted on her face, one that conveyed neither pity nor anxiousness. No; it seems she enjoyed the moment, the silence enveloping around her endearingly.

Still, it didn't seem she was completely content with it. Slowly, she began walking toward him, that same smile on her face. "What?" she asked then, standing just a mere foot away. "Aren't you going to answer me?"

He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Ah, so that's it," she replied, as she stole a single look around her. "My, what a mess. Still, it isn't half as bad. I mean, you could've done worse. For example, dye the seas red, fill the castle with corpses, slaughter the innocent."

He narrowed his eyes.

"But I can see why you're so bored," she continued, as she passed by him easily. "You see the same thing every single day. You win the same wars, destroy the same enemies, all just for some stupid prize like world domination. It's so predictable it's embarrassing."

Who was she?

"Then of course, who are we to decide what to expect? Perhaps one day those victories will vanish, right before you. You won't have a single idea how to stop them from leaving, though maybe, in the end you won't. Maybe you're just curious about the awful, pathetic life ahead of you. I guess it beats being bored to death."

"And what would you know about it?" he finally said.

She paused for a single moment, his own voice taking her by surprise. And yet, within that brief second, she calmed, and turned back, more than happy to continue the conversation. "A lot," she answered demurely. "More than you could possibly ever understand."

He regarded her evenly. "What more could there possibly be?" he said at last, following her gaze toward the bodies. "Miles and miles, stretched out in every possible direction. How many are here anyways? Thousands? Millions?"

She laughed light-heartedly. "Don't be ridiculous. If there were thousands of millions here, society would've picked up on it by now."

She cocked her head, then as she crept toward him, her soft footsteps echoing throughout the tense atmosphere. "There aren't. And even if they were, to society, these children would only be strangers. If they were alive, they couldn't do anything; the smiles on their lips robbed them of that. Even now, in their drug-induced deaths, it seems all they've ever gotten from the world, was ignorance." She flickered her eyes down at them, with a callous smirk on their face. "And yet here they are, reaping the rewards of those lessons."

"No."

"Hmm?"

He returned her gaze. "Is it society, or the world? Which one bequeathed this fate to them?"

She stayed silent for a while, before giggling softly, her hands clutching her own heart. He patiently waited until the woman was done, before turning away, examining their faces once again. How sad; he couldn't remember the questions anymore.

"You really are arrogant, aren't you?" she stated.

He turned back. "What?"

"But not too arrogant," she continued softly. "You're just wandering blindly around in the darkness. You know you are, and yet, you refuse to accept the fact there's another reality out there, waiting. You won't seek it out on your own, and you don't want to believe that you can be saved. What a sad existence you turned out to be."

"Then leave," he replied, in that same, bored tone. "You said it yourself; I believe that there's no reality besides this one, and even if there is, there's no saviour waiting for me."

She raised an amused eyebrow. "Are you scared?"

"No; it just seems like too much trouble."

"Then how about this?" the woman said quietly, as she reached down, and grabbed his hand. "If you're so lazy, you'd have no problem following me."

His eyes widened in surprise. "What're you-?"

"Why are you so concerned?" she asked, as she drew his fingers to her lips. "You already know there's no one out there. But instead of just falling to the dreams the corpses are seeing, why not just leave? Don't tell me you actually _like_ being here."

"No but-"

"Then come," she said, pulling him toward her. "You're not cold like them. And you're not some fool either; even a dreamer knows when it's time to wake up."

Her fingers entwined with his, as she gently led him away, the bodies revealing themselves without the slightest hesitation. He stared at them, before looking down at her own hand.

"Why?" was the first thing he asked.

"You're interesting; that's why. What's your name, by the way?"

"Name?"

"You'd rather I call 'idiot' the entire time? How about 'bastard'? Then again, you acted like a douche too-"

He paused for a moment, before turning away."Whatever," he dismissed.

She shook her head. "That's not a good name. Ah, Yusei."

"What?"

"That's what I'll call you from now on."

"Why?" he asked then, his eyes fixated on the back of her head.

"It means 'save'," she said simply. "I'll save you, so I'll call you Yusei."

* * *

Author's Note:

-The name "Yusei" is Japanese. On one hand, it can mean "planetary", but it also means "save" or "help."


	19. Chapter 19

The moment they saw the Black Rose in the hospital, they thought to themselves for quite some long time.

They asked each other the same questions over and over again, kept wondering what they should do during times like this, kept pondering on whether or not they should tell the mistress. Sometimes, they talked, other times they argued, and even still, sometimes they just said nothing at all, having upset themselves because of some past misdeeds the other did. Of course, they did make up only seconds later, but all the same, the audacity! The horror! The sins kept piling up! They were going to have to remedy this somehow. Yes, remedy this so very very much, like there'd be no other remedies left in the world to remedy. They were going to save the world with remedies!

And then they remembered the witch, and they ceased their courageous ambitions.

They remembered him, ever since he announced that game. Yes, the game everyone wanted to participate in. Everyone wanted the title, but no one dared challenge him. No one wanted to; after all, if anyone should _lose,_ not only would they be stripped of their ranks, but they'd be forced into a position lower than a pawn. No, much much much lower. What was that called again? Do you know? Because they've absolutely no idea.

Well, anyways.

So they've pondered on the idea for a while. They never told their mistress about the game, knowing full well the entire coven would label them as traitors, before publicly humiliating and executing them. But they wanted the title for themselves too, though they'd no idea how to share it. Which one of them would be Black? Which one of them Rose? And the 'The'? Who would get that one? There were three letters in that word, and they couldn't just have half an 'h'. Besides, neither wanted the 't' or even the 'e'. Those letters were just too cliche; they saw it everyday. But the 'h' _ah_ , that 'h' was what they wanted. But they couldn't decide who got to have it, and even if they played for it, the other always cheated. No, it was hopeless, but they didn't want to throw out the 'h'. Never the 'h'.

Then they decided to let the 'h' worry about itself.

One thing was certain though; if they killed the witch, then they'd claim the title. The mistress wouldn't have to worry about him anymore, and neither would Fallen. They could have whatever reward they desired, could do everything they possibly ever wanted, without getting too ahead of themselves. No one would ever make fun of them again, not even Ophelia, who always had that stupid, prissy attitude of hers. They savored those nonexistent moments, and before long, decided to push through with the little project.

So, throughout the week, when the witch was staying here, they decided they'd be the ones to kill him. No, they didn't want to poison him; poisoning was too boring. They were going to let him wake up. Yes, wake up, after everyone's left, after all his eyes and ears have returned to their sweet, comforting beds. Then, when he's barely awake, that's when one of them will strike. Gorge out his eyes, before he can react, remove his organs, butcher every little vein in his body. Should they strap him to the table during that night? No anesthesia; they wanted to savor his screams.

It wasn't because he was a bad leader. In fact, he was good, great even. A bit aloof, but he put the other nobles into their places. He protected the regions he was supposed to protect, all the while maintaining his distance. Why he disappeared though, they still had no idea. Why he resurfaced, they didn't know either. Maybe Ophelia knows, but they didn't want to ask her. Salem too, but he was too creepy to ask. Or she; they could never tell with it.

Yet, in regards to everyone else, if anyone ever knew about them, they'd be in so much trouble.

Still, the Black Rose did say anyone could enter. Lie, cheat, murder, steal, do whatever it takes to win. And if he's still reigning on top, if he's still alive, then for everyone who participated, for everyone who attempted to kill the king…

"I'll end you," they repeated happily.

But first things first; they needed to get the mistress's lapdog away from the scene. Make it so that he doesn't see anything. Wait, that girl wants to see the witch, right? Ah, another witness. She could distract the dog, but that in itself was risky. What if she knows the mutt and the witch look nothing anything alike? What would happen if the lapdog tries calling for the mistress too? They wanted it to be a surprise, but he'd ruin everything if he tells the mistress. But that girl looks familiar, so familiar it's scary.

Can't worry about that now though, can they?

As they watched their fearless leader, their rabid eyes gazing at his empty ones, they couldn't help but wonder what kinds of dreams he's having. Dreams upon nightmares upon dreams upon nightmares. Once, they had a dream like that, but they couldn't remember what it was. Maybe if the witch was dead, he'd help them with that. But wait; he's dead, isn't he? How could he help with anything?

That's right; he didn't have to help with anything. Anything at all! He can just keep having those dreams over and over and over and over again, trapped in the same delusions they had for the last century. That must be so wonderful, so much so they were almost jealous of them. But then again, they got the title, so it was an even trade.

And who knows? Maybe his ghost will come back and thank them for killing him. What a happy day that would be! Should they brag about it to the others. The look on Ophelia's face though; it'd be so very very amazing. Jealousy, anger, brimming from those beady eyes of hers, the obsession tearing her apart bit by bit, sparing nothing for her when it came to her soul. And if they promised that she could see him, maybe she'd do whatever they said.

What a wonderful sight that would be.

Then they placed their fingers on their lips.

The witch will wake up soon.

* * *

In her dream, she was in a room.

A simple white wall shrouded her surroundings, the paint already eroding away. The golden, melancholic light shined down upon the old cracks, illuminating the minuscule shadows with its own, forsaken warmth. Old, wooden floorboards threatened to give way to her weight, though in the end, she managed to ignore them. Two wooden windows were settled on either side of the room, the glass shards lying beneath the frames a testament to the underlying insanity nestled somewhere nearby. If she looked outside, she could see gray waters quietly drifting by, the yellowish sand washing away from the beaches. Tiny rays of sunlight peeked out from the sickly pale clouds, the hopelessness of the atmospheres chained down by storms just beyond the horizon. She gazed at the outside world for a while, before turning her attention toward the back of the room. She saw three portraits leaning against the wall.

Painted faces coated the ruined surfaces, though when she walked toward them, she could still see their perfect details. The faces were so very intricate, reflecting back every emotion, both real and imagined, the shading carried. Every meticulous detail was laid out, every color splattered together to form an array of sophisticated elegance. They were so lifelike too; she could almost touch them, just to see if they'd react. However, she decided not to, so, without further delay, she planted herself in front of them, and examined them. She could feel the faintest traces of nostalgia settling in her chest, an unpleasant feeling she couldn't help but beg that it disappear.

The first canvas was that of a young woman, just a few years older than she. She was standing there, arms neatly in front of her, the picture of absolute perfection. She had long, raven hair, and elegant, ivory skin. Warm, brown eyes stared back at her, along with a playful little smile that made her laugh a bit. She wore a long, red dress, and her hair was neatly tied back. The skirts descended from her legs, emphasizing her slender body. A large, black ribbon was strapped to her throat, and dangling in the middle was a wooden cross. In her hands, she held a tiny cattail, though her fingers loosely gripped it, which allowed the tiny plant to fall from her grasp.

The second was of a boy this time. A boy who stood there, attentive and alert, without the slightest hints of hesitation on his face. Unlike the woman, there was a lifeless gleam in his disposition, something she couldn't help but ponder about. Tiny highlights toward the top, he was wearing a black tunic, with black pants to go with it. His hands were placed behind his back, and from the way he held himself, it seemed he was incredibly obedient. Yes, if memory serves, he did whatever she told him to, or anyone else, for that matter. He was capable, fearless, though submissive all the same, and if not for the bloody bandages wrapped around his eyes, perhaps she would stare at him for a bit longer.

The last canvas, however, was a bit abnormal. More than abnormal; she couldn't make out who was standing there, in that portrait. Some of the paint had already peeled away, and even if she repainted the entire thing, claw marks tore the painting apart, the surface scratched viscously, so viscously she wondered if an animal had come in and ripped it apart.

Still, she stroked the painting. It's funny; she stared at this one the longest, even more so than the others. The nostalgia kept growing and growing, and yet, for some reason, she couldn't turn away, couldn't even begin to understand why she felt this way.

Ah, she remembered now.

She painted all of them, didn't she?

But she only destroyed this one.

Why?

Angela woke up then.

The back of her hand was on her forehead, her other hand against her side. Slowly, she surveyed her office, before finally sitting up, strands of blond hair falling over her forehead. The same pictures were laid out for her, and when she looked to her side, she could see the medical files stashed away in that same, obnoxious file. She scrutinized them, before closing her eyes, and sighing, as she sat up from her brief nap. She yawned tiredly, then lifted one of the photos to her face.

Jaden and Alexis, huh?

They were both here, but she could only focus on Jaden. And that dream too…though the boy's eyes were bandaged, she could still see his face, his familiar face. It was the one thing she wouldn't allow slip from her, despite all her other failures. And then a certain thought occurred to her, a memory she hadn't even known she had.

She painted his face, on that canvas.

She crafted his portrait, spending years just to capture his likeliness. Hours upon hours of simply trying to get all of his features right, perfect the shades which aligned his emotionless expression. She mixed those colors together, and pictured his image in her mind so many times over. The process was the same for the other two, though one of the portraits were ruined. And yet, even though she'd woken up, though she knew it was a dream, that nostalgia still remained with her. She did consider the possibility that she was going crazy once. Perhaps she was working too hard, and now she's having a nervous breakdown.

And yet, those photos, and the stories behind it, were the only things she could concentrate on. As of now, she might as well let Jaden and his friend take over the murder assignment. She didn't want to do anything else for the time being, didn't want to spend her energy on following celebrities, or uncovering secret scandals, or even belittling her own peers, who, begrudgingly, she respected. She didn't want to dwell on her shattered pride either, since, no matter what she did, Goodwin would never acknowledge her. A waste of time, waste of effort, if only to chase for some fleeting approval, and from a man who kept disappearing from her sight.

Carefully, she stood. She had to go back to that hospital, and ask the hospital director about this. She's already got the records memorized, and since nearly every visitor is headed home, she wouldn't have to waste her time interviewing dead ends for answers she already knows. Besides, the hospital was open 24 hours a day, right? It won't be hard to get information. As for her sources, she could just say they were anonymous or something.

She grabbed the photos and placed them back into the file. She then stuffed the folder into a drawer beneath her desk, grabbed her notepad and pen, and walked out the door.

* * *

Sayer stared up at the white ceiling, a tiny frown tugging the edge of his lips. His empty eyes took in the blinding fluorescent lights, never once looking away from them, no matter how much his pupils hurt. His red hair was splayed all over his forehead, and though the nurses sometimes try and shift it away, in the end, it simply dangled there, right in front of him. He'd gotten paler, a lot thinner, considering the fact he refused to eat much of anything. Apparently, he wasn't ready for solid foods yet.

Bruises wrapped delicately around his neck. Both his hands were neatly lined against his side, with a big, ugly cast attached to the right arm. Stitches upon stitches covered both legs, and just beneath his hospital gown, yellowish scars adorned his torso, a testament to the emergency surgeries undertaken, just to leave him here, humiliated beyond belief. Next to him was a clear IV, and just after that, a blood bag, both of which possessing needles that were jammed into his arm. He didn't particularly mind them; in fact, he thought they were appropriate for such an occasion. Aside from those two things, along with the empty bookshelf sitting in front of him, there was nothing else in the room.

In his mind, it looked a bit like a prison.

Thoughts kept pounding against his head, along with those bloody memories he'd rather forget. Ever since he'd gotten out of surgery, he'd call that woman every moment of every day, trying to pry the answers out from her. At first, it seemed it was working; she was cooperative, and whenever he asked, she answered straightforwardly, as if there was nothing else to hide now that Sayer knew what Yusei was capable of. But then, only a few days after that, she stopped answering altogether, and instead, gave his call to someone else. He could see her flipping him off, with that same, stupid smirk on her face. It'd gotten so bad that even now, it seems she decided not to work with him, though of course, she'd paid for his medical bills, as well as the rest of his living expenses.

It was then he closed his eyes, the fatigue slowly spreading throughout his body. Hah, of course she'd act that way; he knew he sounded crazy. Some of the doctors and nurses even came up to the surgeon, and asked if Sayer could be put in the emergency psych ward.

Humiliating indeed.

Why did Amrbosine ask him to do this anyways? Was it because of that picture? Was it because she knew Sayer was desperate enough to actually go and attack Yusei, despite what limited evidence he had against him? What was she after anyways? And how'd Sayer fit into her plans? As of this point, that small, insignificant aspect was perhaps the only thing he could use against her. And even then it was risky; she had far more power, as she so helpfully demonstrated, and more information. She could send him away, if she wanted to, back to prison, with four consecutive life sentences dangling over his head.

There was a soft knock on the door.

Slowly, he looked over, and saw a tiny creak in the entrance. A nurse. What? Time to change the bandages again? Didn't she already do that?

And yet, he couldn't help but notice the young woman standing just behind her.

"Here you are Ms. Izinski," the nurse stated, as she stepped sideways, allowing Akiza inside.

She seemed more mature the last time he saw her, more in control of herself. Her hair had grown longer, and she was a bit taller too. But she still had the same, innocent eyes, the same eyes he made her follow him. That Gothic, Victorian getup, the way she took everything in the world through her own perceptions, her fists clenching and unclenching as they did…

It was shocking, to say the least.

"I'll leave the two of you alone." The nurse said quietly, as she scurried out of the door without another word. Akiza's eyes widened, but before she could protest, the door slammed behind her, leaving she and Sayer together.

Slowly, Sayer sat up. He didn't know what to think, when he saw the girl. He'd been so absorbed with this whole Yusei affair, had spent so long in jail, he couldn't even begin to imagine meeting her. And yet, after all this time, to him, she was still a former soldier, one of his prized duelists. A tool he could've used to destroy society. A fellow sinner.

It seemed those chains vanished, from the moment she turned around, the unquestionable confusion slowly embracing her eyes.

He took a deep breath then, ignoring the sharp pang against his lungs. "I didn't expect…to see you here."

She stopped her struggling then. Carefully, she turned to him, the innocence gone from her eyes almost instantly. "So," she began, "you're going by Yusei now?"

He narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"I asked the nurses if I could see Yusei," she whispered quietly, unable to move from her spot.

Sayer's lips parted.

Yusei was here too.

And Akiza was here to see him.

He clutched the folds of the blanket tightly. "Akiza-"

"Why?"

Sayer froze.

"Why'd you do it?" she pressed, as she took one tiny step forward. Determination settled against her delicate features, as she stood there, in front of him, her eyes staring him down. "No, first of all, how are you even _here_ right now? You were-"

"I was saved by a monster," he answered calmly.

She regarded him evenly. "A monster, huh?"

"But never mind that," he hastily continued, coming back to Akiza, the memory still vivid in his mind. There were so many things he didn't know, so many things he didn't _want_ to know. He couldn't help but wonder if he could just avoid them all, as he did over and over again, though in the end, he knew his efforts would be worthless. And yet, he _knew_ he needed an ally. He needed someone to stay by him.

He needed Akiza.

"Listen," he said then. "Yusei isn't who you think he is."

She stared at him for the longest time, before turning away.

"Akiza, look at me."

She remained silent.

He gritted his teeth. He was losing her; he could recognize that face anywhere. "Trust me," he said, not even bothering to hide the desperation in his eyes, "when I'm telling you; you need to stay _away_ from him. He's…he's-"

"My friend," she finally said.

"This isn't about him _saving you anymore-"_

"He treated me like a normal person," she continued calmly, taking another step toward Sayer. "He didn't care about my powers He showed me how to live, to _really_ live Sayer-"

"Who do you think _did this?!"_ he suddenly snapped, causing Akiza to flinch. When the quiet reigned, it was then Sayer looked down. He was living _proof_ of what he was, of what _that bastard is_.

"Look at me Akiza," he pleaded. "Internal bleeding, broken arms and legs; if it wasn't for the anesthesia I'd probably _die_ of the pain."

She shook her head. "Just…just stop-"

"I'm _telling the truth,"_ he stated.

"The Movement's gone Sayer-"

"If you don't believe me, then go to Yusei; make _him_ tell you what'd happened."

And still, Akiza still had that expression. He could feel her turning away with each remark he made, each word a sharp reminder as to what he did to her.

But how else could he win over her, besides the truth? If she believed his lies, shouldn't she believe him now? He was telling the absolute, complete truth!

If only he could make Akiza realize that…

Suddenly, the lights came off.

And a piercing scream resounded from the hallways.

They both jolted at the sound, the cries suddenly pouring into the hallway. Footsteps pounded against the floors, chaotic noises echoing through the twilight air.

Akiza twisted back, the shock still coursing through her system. She raced back to the door and tried opening it.

Locked.


	20. Chapter 20

Angela stared down at the scene, her dull, blank eyes taking in the gore in front of her.

From what she could see, there were tiny little things running around, inside that hospital lobby. Little things she neither knew nor cared for, though they all seemed incredibly familiar to her. They all kept crawling around on their deformed hands, their pale blue eyes reflecting back everything they saw. Large fangs protruded on either side of their mouths, and when she squinted, she could see their bleeding veins sticking out from their heads. Their skin was wrinkled, and their nails covered in black and red, giving a sort of tainted innocence she couldn't help but find enchanting. And when she saw them wandering around, their gazes aimlessly staring out at the darkness enveloping them, she was reminded of fragile children, who had lost their way in the woods. She saw that, and she walked closer.

Just beneath those children, were people. Grotesque people, covered in every shade of scarlet possible. That scarlet fiery, or anything like that; no, it was blacker, more elegant, embraced by the macabre surrounding it. Faces were wide with agony, their own, quiet lachrymose vanishing before her eyes. People's mouths were all open; some of the children pulled out their teeth, while others had their eyes removed, and she was left to stare at only black, gaping holes. A majority of the people still had their lab coats on, though their once pristine reputations were now sullied in a field of bodies. She could practically hear them screaming in pain, pleading that someone save them, anyone at all, no matter how much they've fallen. Who knows what would've happened, had someone actually answered them? They might even be coated with velvet, sharply contrasting to the pale flesh hidden beneath, like beautiful red roses, drifting across soft snow.

Beautiful, red roses, huh?

She placed her fingertips gently against the glass. She rose her hand steadily, before grabbing that golden handle. She paused for a single moment, before she shoved against the glass. Locked.

She turned her attention back towards those precious moments. She didn't know how long she stared at them, or how long she stood there. Perhaps the only way she could've possibly told time was through her own shadow; the moon was out after all.

And with that reassurance recalled, she began gazing at them, that very same nostalgia settling at the pit of her stomach. She stared and stared and stared, not once bothering to comprehend the massacre that lay behind the door. Just a few minutes later, one of the creatures turned back, and returned her gaze.

It was beautiful. For one thing, it was tiny, vulnerable, like some trembling toddler crying out for someone. It sat in a tiny, feeble ball, its hands on its knees, as it regarded her with curious eyes, the tiniest bits of life illuminating its pupils. It started opening its mouth, but stopped midway. She leaned closer, before cocking her head; it was gagging on something. Its head dropped down, and a second later, Angela saw something fall from its jaws.

A black, beating heart.

How cute.

Slowly, she crouched down, an amiable smile on her face. Yes, she's seen those children before. She knew who they were, knew their names, knew everything about them. Some were big, others small, some fat, others thin. Most were emaciated, starved for days on end just to see if their immune systems would react the same way as a normal person's, while others were so obese she often wondered when their stomachs would explode. She remembered those children, and she laughed, whether they cried, or smiled, or remained silent, if only to take in the madwoman's thoughts. It wasn't long before they followed suite, copying her every likeness, doing whatever they could just to please her. Though she never told anyone, she loved playing with them, even if it was on a simple whim.

That's right…

She loved playing with them, didn't she?

The portraits in her dream came rushing back to her, their own familiarity grazing her heart so easily. No, the woman didn't make them; she was always so kind, compassionate, caring. It wasn't like her to just torture someone, at least, just for the fun of it. Nor did the person in that broken painting; he never liked getting his hands dirty, and she always had to force him to dismember someone.

So that left the boy in the middle.

He had a talent for things like this. That's right; he was interested in studying someone, all the while wanting to create something no one else would even dare create. He was always in his laboratory, playing with solutions and needles, injecting those drooling children with drugs upon drugs, experimented with them to his heart's content. He determined the dosages, led the research projects, and in the end, aside from the ruined man, became her most valuable asset. They weren't really close, and whenever they did talk, it always ended in that same, awkward silence, at least until one of them decided to leave. Sometimes she'd laugh behind his back, since she knew how long he stayed cooped up in whatever experiments he'd been conducting. That's probably why he was so socially awkward.

And then he was taken away, just like that.

She lifted her finger, and tapped the glass. Perhaps the reason why she was so fond of these children, was because they were, in fact, his demons. Since he was always shoving her away, she decided to spend some time with them instead. She wasn't friendly with them, and she always regarded them in that same, condescending manner she did with her own subordinates. And even then, those idiots were still jealous of them.

Before she knew it, she found those children sitting there, in front of that glass door, staring at her obediently. They were all shaking, the poor little things, quivering with excitement at the very thought of leaving the hospital and everything here. They were happy, so very happy.

And just like that, something clicked.

She smiled, as she grabbed the handle once again, the ghoulish moonlight behind her. "Good," she murmured softly. "Now, open the door."

* * *

Their footsteps echoed throughout the empty air, the deep, dark ebony making way for crisp air kept getting icier, and the frostbite enveloped subtly around them. The bodies on the ground have long since faded, remnants of limbs and blood still sporadically dotting the ground. Whispers menacingly drifted toward them, haunting melodies that threatened them with each second past, a dirge or two asking that they joined them. And yet, they simply kept walking, their eyes never once taking in their surroundings.

Yusei's gaze fixed at the back of that strange woman's head. His hand was still in hers, her own warmth carefully pouring into his without the slightest reluctance. His shoulders have long since relaxed, the tension from before easily slipping from his mind. He wasn't smiling, though all the same, he was content. At the very least, it beat standing around there, looking out at the bodies.

But for some reason, as they kept walking, he told himself not to look down. He forced himself to concentrate on her, only her, as they passed through the darkness. He brushed aside the pounding on his skull, and hid away whatever crimson memories resurfaced from his mind. It was difficult at first, but gradually he managed to get used to it. Soon, he was able to will those unpleasant thoughts away, sometimes for minutes, other times hours.

Hours?

"Hey," he suddenly called.

"Hmm?"

"How far did we go?"

"A while."

His eye twitched, as he stared down at her hand. Before long, he tugged at her arm, and they both stopped. The woman turned with that same, odd smile on her face, and cocked her head. After a long, tentative pause, she started giggling. "What?" she asked.

"Do you even know where we're even going?"

"Nope."

He just stared at her.

"What?" she repeated.

"I thought you knew where you were-"

"Of course I don't," she stated arrogantly, as she tightened her grip on his fingers. "Look around you; pitch black. Still, it's beautiful, don't you think?"

"…Are you serious?"

"I am. Why? Are you meeting with someone? Is that why you're in such a hurry?"

He clenched his teeth. "You've got a sick sense of humor."

"All joking aside."

"Let's just go-"

"Hold up, hold up," she said, stopping Yusei before he even got a chance to walk past her. When he turned back to her, he still saw her, grinning ear to ear, with that stupid, carefree expression so messily painted on her face. "Seriously, where do you think _you're_ going?"

"Out," he answered bluntly.

"Out!" she exclaimed. "Aren't _I_ your savior though?"

He scoffed. "Some savior you turned out to be."

"You know, there's more to life than just walking."

"Great. I'm leading."

"No you're not!" she said happily, dragging him back to her when he tried leaving once again. "Ah, you're always so impatient."

Again, that same silence.

"What?"

"We've barely _talked_ for the past _ten hours."_

"No; _you_ barely talked for the past ten hours. _I,_ on the other hand, was a _riot."_

"Butt jokes don't count."

"Sure they do," she stated, promptly swinging his arm through the air. "Talking, after all, is a form of communication, a way to portray our thoughts and feelings. I was thinking of butt jokes, and simultaneously, I was feeling playful. Since I communicated to you those butt jokes and my playfulness, I was, in fact, _talking."_

"I take that back; we barely talked about anything _meaningful."_

She regarded him with wide, curious eyes. Before long, she stole away from him, one hand jokingly clutching her heart. "Butt jokes can be meaningful."

"No, they can't."

"What'd you have against butt jokes anyways?"

" _Getting off the topic,"_ he said, tearing his eyes away from her. He looked around, as the unpleasant fact slowly dawned on him that they may very well be lost. He bit the inside of his cheek, a grim frown tugging at his lips. They should've seen something by now…

"They're fun."

He scowled. "I thought we were _off_ the damn butt jokes."

She blinked, before removing the surprise altogether. Carefully, she brought their hands to a halt, as she turned her eyes toward the very same nothingness he kept staring at. A calm, relaxed smile graced her face. She took a deep breath, and let out a soothing sigh. "You need to calm down. Stressing out about it won't get you anywhere."

Yusei groaned. "You really want to wander around here for the rest of your life?"

"Who knows?" she answered demurely. "Considering the reality you came from, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad alternative."

"What?"

"Think about it," she said quietly, as she pulled him toward her. Quickly, she grabbed his waist, and started pushing him left, then right, then left again, her clumsy steps reminiscent to…some dance she just came up with. At first, he was shocked, and tried removing himself from her grip, but soon, he eased into her unpredictable beat, and resigned to her game, evidently too tired to put up another fight.

As he struggled against her footsteps, clutching to her desperately, embarrassingly, she only chuckled, as she imagined their entangled, disorganized silhouettes. "You really couldn't move anywhere, with all those bodies surrounding you."

"But-"

"And now look!" she continued, slowly pushing him away, if only to get him to dance on his own. "You've got so much room! You could do anything you want here, come up with any idea. Butt jokes, fart jokes-"

"Enough with the jokes," he muttered beneath his breath.

She laughed freely. "There's nothing here, nothing at all. It's already a different, isn't it?"

He couldn't say anything. He could only stare down at the weird woman, who began twirling around, keeping his hand in place. When she stopped, she brought her hand down, this time on his arm. Carefully, she maneuvered his other hand toward her waist, and with that, she picked up the dance again. The tempo was slower this time, more deliberate, as she allowed Yusei time to catch himself.

"Just follow me," she said. "See? Doing better already."

He relinquished his reluctance then, as he looked down as his feet, concentrating on the steps she kept taking. Left, then right, another left; she wanted to turn now. He stumbled again, and just like last time, she chuckled. "Well, almost."

"Why're you doing this?" he asked finally.

She looked up, her playful smirk still there, on her face. "What?"

"You know what I mean," he said frustratedly, as he regained his balance, all the while falling to her hypnotic rhythm.

She pretended to think. "You were interesting."

"That's it?"

"And as you can see, I was right."

As the seconds passed, the two kept dancing, sometimes slow, like this one, other times, fast-paced, to the point Yusei couldn't even keep up. Though she kept on laughing and laughing, in the end, she simply swayed to the music in her head, and Yusei followed her, as she asked him to.

He never noticed the small, shimmer of light peeking, just through the black.

* * *

Akiza stood there, frozen place, her tiny hand still on that knob. She trembled at the noise, the anguished cries reverberating from one end of the hall to the next. Just below the crack of the door, she could see flurried shadows racing past, screaming for someone to come rescue them. Her eyes watched them steadily, her heart in her throat, trying to will them away to safety. And yet, despite that, she flinched whenever those shadows disappeared, forced down by an animal just behind the door. She couldn't help but jump away when she heard growling.

Gradually, the screams died down, replaced by moans and pleas. Sobs echoed from the corridor, and by the time she regained her senses, only silence remained. From the cracks, she could see tiny loveless shadows prowling outside, the black greedily taking in the unforeseen horrors lying just ahead. They kept searching and searching, those shadows, their noses sniffing around, all the while passing the locked door with each second.

They stopped for a moment. She could feel their eyes boring the door, their aimless wandering gone the moment they turned toward her.

Akiza held herself still. Her trembling, icy hands clutched her chest, and she held her breath, trying not to make the least bit of sound. Her bangs fell over her face, with golden orbs staring out into the uncertainty. When she heard scratching, she fought the urge to back away from the door. Her own heartbeat pounded against her eardrums. She bit her the tip of her tongue, trying to keep herself from crying out. All the while, she shut her eyes, and hoped that they wouldn't come in.

But as quickly as they came, they left.

She heard the door unlock then.

Slowly, she reopened her eyes, and allowed her hands to sink back to her side. Carefully, she made her way forth, the soft, artificial wind blowing through the room. She paused for a single moment, before continuing on with her trek, listening in the outside. Once again, her eyes settled down to the cracks, before looking back up. She reached for the handle.

 _"_ _Akiza!"_

She jolted, before swirling back. " _What?"_

"Are you _suicidal_?" Sayer whispered quietly, staring at that door. "If you go out there-"

Just then, the lights flickered back on.

Her lips parted slightly, blinking at the sudden burst. She looked back down at Sayer, and saw him lying in that hospital bead, shaking, more badly than she.

It's funny, seeing him like this. Though she'd no idea what to make of him now, from the fact that he'd gotten out of prison, to being here, acting like he was a victim, in the end, he was still Sayer. Though he was the man who more than likely befriended her for her for her powers, who'd kidnapped other people, who experimented on them, she couldn't find a single ounce of hatred in her. He'd given her home, took her in when no one else would have. Even after he used her, against Misty, against the world, it was hard, to see him like this.

Why was she like this? Shouldn't she be more excited, angry, concerned? Shouldn't she be bombarding him with questions, interrogating him until she broke down crying, screaming? Shouldn't she be demanding where all those missing kids were, why he's lied to her, all this time? Shouldn't she be asking him what he meant when he told her to stay away from Yusei? Shouldn't she ask him how he even got out of prison to begin with, who his new benefactor was? Isn't that what a normal person would do? Isn't that how she felt before?

But the thoughts never occurred to her. Instead, she regarded him evenly, and calmly came towards his bed. Sayer looked up at her, with pleading eyes. "Akiza-"

"It'd be bad if the police find us here," she stated, causing him to fall silent.

The fact that he'd shut his mouth as soon as she brought up the notion, was more than abnormal. Considering the fact he was supposed to be in jail for the rest of his life, someone influential must've gotten him out. After all, he wouldn't even be here in this hospital if they hadn't. After all, there was no way he could bribe anyone, or even cover his own expenses; if memory serves, Sector Security confiscated all of the Movement's funding, didn't they? So whoever this person was, they must know everything about Sayer, about the Movement. What were they using him for anyways?

But she brushed aside her curiosity, at least for now. "How long have you been here?" she asked.

"A week." he answered automatically.

Same time as Yusei then. "What happened?"

"I already told you what'd happened," Sayer said, as he stole another glimpse at his injuries. "Akiza, I suggest you not go out there."

She waited for a few seconds, before making her way back to the door. She placed both palms against the surface, and pressed her ear against it. She closed her eyes, and waited, tuning Sayer out with everything he was saying. It was faint, but she could hear breathing.

What was going on out there?

"Akiza-"

"I'm not." she said finally, as she began searching around the room, at the white, empty walls plastered before her. Even from here, she could smell iron coating the air, and it was because of that she decided not to go out. There was a breeze though, when she came in. A breeze that came from this room; nothing on the ceiling, nothing on the walls…

Her eyes fell beneath the bed. Again, she brushed aside Sayer's words, as she crouched down, and lifted up the curtains. She found a large, iron vent staring back at her.

"What're you doing?" Sayer asked.

"Getting out," she muttered, dragging her fingers toward the nails. They weren't tightened; all she had to do was unscrew them, and she'd be able to get it open.

But this was a hospital though; everything was supposed to be perfect, accurate, else complications would arise. She highly doubted anyone would make a mistake as stupid as this, even Jack. Carefully, she peered through the darkness.

And heard giggling.

Hurriedly, she screwed the nails shut, and moved herself out of the bed. Well, at least they can't get in.

She stared at that door once again. If those things came in to attack, Sayer won't be able to get out of here alive. Who locked that door anyways? Were they waiting for her to come out? Were those things with them?

She took a deep breath, and came back toward Sayer. Her eyes drifted toward the needle jammed into his arm, and she sighed; the blood bag was almost empty anyways. So she came toward that bookshelf, gripped one of the shelves with both her hands, and quickly, began wiggling the tiny thing from its place.

"What're you doing _now?"_ Sayer asked exasperatedly.

" _Getting out,"_ she repeated, as she pulled the shelf out. It dropped to the floor with a loud slam. Her fingers steadied the board in her hands, then with one huff, she hoisted it in front of her.

No deck, no duel disk; if only Crow would tell her how she flung those guys around, it'd be a lot better. As of this point, she'd no idea how to control anything.

She came back to the door. "Sayer," she called, "can you move?"

"… _What?"_

"You have crutches, don't you?"

"No."

"Then just stay there," she said, as she walked toward the door. She gripped the handle tightly, her thumb nervously hovering over the surface. There was something out there. "I'll come back when I'm done."

Sayer rapidly sat up, his eyes wide with shock. "You _aren't_ going out there."

Normally, she wouldn't. She'd wait for someone to come, probably argue with Sayer a little, all the while worrying over Yusei's safety. She'd try calling for help, and if that didn't work, she'd stay here, and wait until someone came to her rescue. She'd try and use her powers, even though she didn't know the first thing about them, to escape this hospital.

But with one, fluid motion, she opened the door, with that single shelf in hand. She was right; there really was something out there.

That something was racing toward her, with a single needle in hand.


	21. Chapter 21

Tiny droplets of light kept hovering near them, the warmth cascading from them easily. Processions of shadows carefully circled those droplets, as they shimmered along the edges of the now gentle darkness. Sometimes they danced around him, the small flames helplessly flickering to and from him in perfect harmony, while other times, they simply stood there, gazing ahead without any care in the world. He couldn't help but reach out to them, his finger coming toward the specks. And yet the moment he did, the fragile things disappeared from his grasp, only to reappear against just a few feet behind him. He couldn't help but turn back, a small smile on his face.

"Almost there," he heard then.

His eyes slid to the young woman in front of him. She hadn't talked in quite some time, ever since their playful little waltz ended. "You've been saying that for forever now."

"I mean it this time."

Yusei scoffed. "I doubt it."

"Seriously."

"Right…"

He heard a light, empty giggle escape from her lips. "Just don't let go, whatever happens."

He stared at the woman for a while. "Fine," he answered.

They lapsed into a heavy silence, something that took him completely by surprise. But despite that, she still managed to say a simple, "Huh."

He blinked. "What?" he asked.

It seemed like she was about to say something, but she shook her head, the aimless tension still in her voice. "Nothing."

He paused for a brief moment, before coming back to the lights, all of which now reflected brightly upon their faces. It's funny, how the woman could just keep going like that. She never stopped to rest, never complained, never even bothered looking around, if only to check where they both were. The weariness never showed on her face, and whenever she turned back, a carefree smile would always graze her lips. She's held his hand for so long, the warmth entwined between their fingers, he'd no idea what would happen should she let go.

Their footsteps softly passed through the black, the quiet descending to them from whichever way they went. A gentle breeze caressed the two, and without thinking, Yusei looked ahead, his eyes widening with surprise. After all this time, it really did look like they were almost there. She really wasn't kidding, was she?

And then she stopped.

Yusei regarded her with confusion. "What is it?"

"I need to ask you something," she said carefully.

He narrowed his eyes, before shrugging his shoulders. "Go ahead."

"Do you like where you are now?"

He blinked. He turned back to the flickering lights nearby, then nodded. "I do."

"Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked, his eyes dropping to the floors pleasantly. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd smiled like this. Constant thoughts kept pouring into his mind, some sad, others happy, some from memories he never knew he had, others from a certain peace he hadn't felt in a while. He found himself chuckling occasionally, either by some joke he remembered the woman telling him long before, or even a phrase he supposedly tried keeping to himself. No limbs, no blood, no children looking up at him, with those wide, black holes; it was as if everything he'd seen before was just a terrible nightmare. He loved everything about those moments, though he'd never admit it. He loved them. And the woman in front of him.

He raised his hand, reaching out toward the droplets, only to have them fly away again.

"What's obvious?" he heard her ask.

"Even a dreamer knows when it's time to wake up."

She only nodded. "I see."

He leaned over, a simplistic grin on his face. "What? What's wrong?"

Once again, that awkward quiet came between the two. His eyes bored her back, his reflective blue orbs scrutinizing her strangeness. He waited for her for who knows how long, though to him, an eternity had passed. He was about to press again, when she turned back, a single frown plastered on her face. "You really don't remember?"

"What're you-?"

She untwined her fingers from his, the now bitter wind attacking his palm. With one, fluid motion, she placed his hand above her left eye, and gazed up at him, her golden, piercing orbs relaying a single, solemn expression. "Right here," she whispered.

"What're you talking about?"

At that moment, he was staring at a gaping, bloody hole, right where her eye used to be.

She closed both eyes, and smiled. "You shot me, right in the eye."

And then he woke up.

* * *

Darkness slowly ebbed away from him, as the blurriness cleared. Cold sweat dropped from his forehead, as he struggled to focus. He was sitting on something hard. Hard, and cold; an anchor was weighing him down. He felt like he was drowning.

Yusei opened his eyes.

He was in a grey room, with gray bricks plastered all over, and a gray floor, which reflected back up to him his emotionlessness. He was in the same black jeans, with the same, dark undershirt covering his torso. His blue jacket was lying just a few feet away from him, with a majority of the fabric cut up into bits and pieces. His feet bound by heavy chains, all of which were wrapped onto a large metal pipe sticking out from the ground behind him. Blinding light glared down at him, so much so he never bothered looking up. His dark, raven bangs fell to his icy blue eyes, as he stared up at two boys standing there, in front of him.

They were young, those boys. Both had light blond hair, with dark, steel-like pupils for eyes. They were both fair-skinned, and had the same smiles engraved onto their lips, something he didn't take comfort in. They had white, buttoned down shirts, with the cuff of their sleeves marked by a single, light blue ribbon. When he looked down, he caught sight the unmistakable sight of two, bloody roses strapped to their throats, the same ones he saw during the mall hijacking. The collars were chained together by a long, thick vine, one with twisted, sharp thorns coated around the edge.

Just behind those boys were needles. If he squinted, he could see the bottles too, hidden within the darkness. Big and small, thin and fat, though in the end, he managed to decipher the labels.

Drugs.

No anesthesia, of course.

Yusei warily turned back to the boys. It was hard to feel…anything; from the way they held themselves, to the fact that they so blatantly demonstrated how dependent they were on each other, he might as well have laughed at the entire ordeal. Still, he forced it down, as he regarded them evenly. In a sick, demented way, they reminded him of Jaden and Alexis, for some odd reason.

"Good evening!" they both chimed.

He blinked. He tried saying something, but the words remained in his throat. A few seconds later, the duo laughed. One of the boys stepped forward, and clapped his hands once. A bright, disturbing light settled within his eye, and just like that, Yusei's humor had instantly vanished. "Violet!" he stated.

"Violet," the other boy repeated.

Yusei gazed at the two. "W-what…?" he began in a coarse voice.

"So you do remember us!" Violet said gleefully. "We're so happy about that."

The haziness returned to him for a brief moment. He remembered them from somewhere. Was it from a dream he had from before? Were they one of those pathetic children lying on the ground?

The Violet on the left nudged his companion. "Still tired," he muttered.

"Still tired," the other repeated.

"Can't have that now."

"No we cannot."

"Not at all."

Yusei blinked. He couldn't feel his arms or legs; he could only just sit there, with a blank, idiotic stare on his face, as he watched the two turn back and crouch down. Carefully, one of the boys plucked a needle from the ground, and grabbed one of the clear, plastic bottles sitting nearby. He unscrewed the cap, and then poured the contents all over the needle, causing a tiny puddle to form onto the ground. "I like this part," they both said. They then turned back around, and gave Yusei an encouraging smile, one the duelist never bothered returning.

His eyes fell to the ground, as they refocused themselves, adjusting to the bright, fluorescent lights barring down on him. He could hear their footsteps coming towards him slowly, along with abundant snickering for whatever it was they were about to do. He felt the needle being jammed into his arm, the drug immediately escaping from the tip and worming its way through his system. Yusei could feel himself squirming a bit out of their grip, though he never lost his stoic disposition.

What was in that?

A few moments later, the two Violets stood up with disappointed frowns on their faces. "Nothing," they said, as one of the boys threw out the needle. He then looked toward his counterpart. "How much did you get?"

"A lot." he answered.

Yusei breathed in a deep breath. Again, he tried speaking. "W-what's-?"

"Huh?" they both shouted suddenly, as they instantly sat in front of him. "What?"

It wasn't long before he found his voice again. "What's happening?" he croaked. "Where…where am I?"

"The hospital," one of them explained.

"You collapsed."

"Really badly."

"Madam Amrbosine decided to take you in."

"Took a while to find you though."

Amrbosine…

They cocked their heads. "You don't remember?" they chimed. They turned to each other, and giggled. "Here he is, our witch."

"Our precious ugly rose."

"Nary but rags on his body."

"And only a penny to his name!" And they laughed sharply, causing Yusei to cringe. Their voices rebounded throughout the room, and when they stopped, he could only sit up, the numbness in his limbs already fading away. He clenched his fists, as he stared out at the drugs again, as well as the rusted, bloody needles lying nearby. A sharp glare claimed his face.

When they were finished, they simply looked at him. "Oh, don't look at us like that!" the Violet on the right said.

The Violet on the left nodded. "You brought this upon yourself."

"We really love you."

"But of course, not _that_ much."

"A shallow emotion, that is."

"Forever a hollow word-"

"-in the midst of time," they finished.

A shallow emotion. Forever a hollow word, in the midst of time. The emotion called love.

He remembered them now.

A pair of siblings, one not much older than the other, always together, saying their limericks in the oddest of fashions. They were young, and though they had more sense than anyone he'd ever known, in the end it was their addiction to adrenaline that eventually led to their downfalls. Failing more times than he could count, all because of their sophisticated immaturity; clinging to the broken days of their youth, all just for yet another chance of destroying anything that wasn't even worth their time. What a strange contradiction, that was; he made it a point to never to listen to them, since all they kept spouting was just complete nonsense. And yet, despite that, he did agree with them on their statement, the one about love.

He looked around the room once again. The hospital; that's what they said.

The General Hospital.

Yusei slid a wary gaze towards them. The name they said before, Amrbosine; he's heard that too, though he didn't know where. "You both have roses," he murmured.

"Ah, he's gone insane."

"Indeed he has."

"Why I wonder?"

"Why indeed. Hey sir! Have you gone mad?"

"Sir?" was all he could say.

Both Violets nodded at each other. "He's gone mad."

"Madder than Ophelia."

"Or the Hatter."

"Ophelia's definitely madder."

Yusei narrowed his eyes, his patience growing thin with the two boys. "What're you _talking about?"_

They swirled around to him. "Wait your turn!"

"You're about to die anyways. Why ask why?"

"Exactly."

 _Die?_

Yusei looked back at the chains wrapped around his ankles, the cruel metal staring him down.

He was going to die.

He turned back around, the utter confusion enveloped around his solemn frown. He couldn't say anything at all, at the very least, not without hesitating. When the Violets stared at him for a little while longer, they both sighed. "Honestly, it _is_ your fault though."

…What?

"You made the game."

"And the rules."

"Who knows why you did it."

"Yeah, who knows?"

Yusei tensed. "Rules?"

Both Violets stood up. One of the boys went back and readied yet another needle, while the other stayed behind, staring at Yusei with an amused smile. "Don't you remember anything? Hey, Violet, I think he really _has_ gone mad."

"Is it our faults he's insane?" the child called.

"I don't know; is it?"

Yusei clenched his teeth. "What rules?" he demanded.

Both boys jolted, frozen for a brief second. "He forgot." The boy in the back said.

"I know he forgot."

"Should we tell him?"

"I think we should."

Yusei narrowed his eyes. Without another moment wasted, they drew close to him again, the same, annoying amusement tugging at their seemingly heartless pupils. "You said you'd let the nobles try to kill you," they said simultaneously. "And if they couldn't, you'd end them."

Yusei fought to keep the shock down. "I…I said _what?"_

"We don't know."

"Obviously you don't either."

"Speaking of which, weren't we gonna use the chainsaws?"

"Tear him apart piece by itsy bitsy piece?"

"Poisoning is a bit boring, isn't it?"

It's not true.

"You said we wouldn't do it."

"I did not."

It _can't_ be true.

"Then why're we even standing here?"

"We were going to strap him down to a table, weren't we?"

"Then what's all that even _for?"_

"Don't know…"

And yet, here he was, replaying a single nightmare within his mind, over and over again.

"Stay here; I'll get the saw."

"No, I'll do it!"

The bullet hole, in her left eye.

"You have to watch him!"

"I'm older than you!"

Her strange behavior.

"Slightly older!"

"Means a lot!"

"Means nothing!"

He remembered a young woman in front of him, lying on the ground, soaked in her own blood. He remembered how grotesquely distorted her bones were, the crimson brimming within her eyes. He remembered her once lovely body soiled with dirt and gore, a remnant to every person she managed to slaughter. He remembered how she shook, her black nails clawing against the earth, her own tears racing down her cheeks. He remembered her cold, icy skin, the bullet hole in her head steadily calming her down. He remembered her broken smile, as she reached out for him, whispering a secret only he could hear, words he could only begin to understand through the depths of his own lunacy.

She lay there dying, calling out to him, through those dark skies.

Quiet reminisces slowly came back to him, as he began tuning out the Violets.

The wild dance she drew him into, the same dance that kept him from leaving her side, with an air of freedom carefully mingling within his reach. She held his hand, and led him there.

And then she died, just like that.

She died.

 _Akiza died._

She was there, right in front of him.

The two Violets kept bickering over why they were still here. Their voices were so annoying; they pounded against his skull, trying to do whatever they could to crack it open. Their ear-splitting argument offered no relief, as the room began growing hazy once more. He shut his eyes, the pain crushing his heart so desperately. He could feel his fingertips touching the icy floors, could feel every possible emotion when he saw her corpse.

Yusei was a name that felt so very familiar to him, a name that always stuck, wherever he went. He'd no idea what else to do, should no one else call him by that name.

"Shut up," he finally whispered.

They kept going.

"I said shut up."

They only ignored him.

 _"Shut up."_

A loud, sickening crack resounded from the room.

When he looked up, he saw the two Violets standing there, their heads completely twisted back, with those same, angered expressions on their faces.

He tore his eyes elsewhere. Slowly, he reached down and undid the chains. Yusei then stood up, and walked out of the room.


	22. Chapter 22

She shoved the shelf in front of her body, all the while trying to drown out the panic rising in her chest. She watched in fear as the needle pierced through the wood, the liquid slowly oozing out from the vial. Without meaning to, Akiza slammed the shelf against the creature, a loud _crack_ resounding from the thing. She jumped back, with that same, familiar scent coating the air. She didn't dare look down, didn't want to think about the bodies staring up pleadingly at her, at the nonexistent breaths she was going to have to count before they finally died out. Her gaze was fixated toward the wall, but in the end, she finally forced herself to turn toward her assailant.

Its head was twisted all the way around, its neck grotesquely reshaping itself from its almost-decapitation. Veins kept snapping back in place, the bruises quickly forming now vanishing before her. Raven strands of wiry hair cascaded down those bruises, and when it turned back around, it grabbed one of the legs on the ground, and tore through it messily. And when it finally returned her stare, white, emotionless orbs glared her down, with tiny hints of light azure overshadowing the thin veins stuck beneath. Bloody lips smiled at her, along with yellowish, pointed fangs marked all over its gums. Transparent skin covered its emaciated body, and its hospital gown it wore revealing its protruding ribs and bones. Its black nails were long, with stitches and scars covering the entirety of its limbs. On its throat, it wore a bright, pink ribbon, with tiny, white frills over the edges.

After a moment or so, it threw its snack away, and cocked its head. It stole a look down toward the needle. It looked back up toward Akiza, who, at this point, didn't know whether or not to come back into the room and lock the door. Her legs were numb, as she struggled to focus, all the while it looked out to her, radiating an eerie calm toward her, one she hadn't seen in a while. Finally, it started giggling.

Akiza narrowed her eyes. It was the same giggle she heard from the vents. There was no way it could've crawled in and back out the vents, at least, not without making a whole lot of noise. It probably used another vent somewhere here, forcing Akiza to stay in that room and, if possible, to go out.

A whole lot of good that did her.

She held the board against herself, and regarded it evenly. She took a tiny, bold step forward, all the while closing the door with a single hand, Sayer's weak frame coming away from her vision. Whatever this thing was, it looked no older than the twins. And it was small, thin, so thin Akiza couldn't help but gaze at how badly the thing was starving. If she squinted, she could see the tinniest of needle injections on their arms; drugs. Where this _thing_ came from was none of her concern; it didn't even look human, and the feral gleam in its eye…

Before she knew it, it began tearing away at her arm.

She clenched her teeth, and stole her attention toward it. She bit down a yelp, as she dropped the board, and slammed it against the wall. She rose her pumps and kicked it away, all the while using both hands to pry it from her. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the needle in its flailing hand, the starvation in its eyes taking hold of its instincts. Then, without thinking, she grabbed the needle from its hand, and stole it away. She tried stabbing it in its arm, but it howled, and leapt from her.

In a split second, it dragged its claws toward her, the same, primitive grin smearing its face. Akiza narrowly dodged the attack, her senses focusing on the ragged footsteps it made against the ground. She moved left, then right, as she regarded its blank eyes evenly, before casting a gaze towards a dirty hand coming up to her from the side. Its arms were widely swinging at her, as it bounced off the walls uncontrollably, that same giggle pouring out from its lips.

Predictable.

When it was close enough, the same pattern laid out for her to see, she took a deep breath, and rushed in. She grabbed both its arms, and twisted it around. As it was struggling out of her tight grip, Akiza threw it to the ground, callously brushing aside its painful howl. She sat onto of the struggling creature then, with one hand wrapped around the back of its neck, the other on top of both wrists, laid out in front of it. She cast an eerie glance toward the needle lying just a few feet nearby, before coming back down to the child.

More than likely this was a patient from this hospital. After all, it was wearing one of the gowns, and judging from the way it knew where the air vents were directed, it seems its been here for a while. Well, the General Hospital did have a few problems, from what she's heard, but when it comes to something like this, in her opinion, this was just unacceptable. There was also the power outage; normally, the storage room is supposed to be locked by an employee. Unless this thing killed that employee before proceeding to slaughter everyone else standing in its way, she didn't think it could get away with murder.

She clutched its wrists tightly, the thoughts swirling around in her mind. The security room would be a good place to start. Whoever locked the door to begin with probably locked the outside too, and the lobby was probably the most likely place where they'd want to see her. Go to the lobby, and she'd be asking for a death wish.

She doubted this thing had any idea what it was doing; there was no possible way someone this psychotic would be able to handle themselves logically. And even if there was, unless they were following orders, they wouldn't have lasted long. The very fact that the creature was outside the door, just waiting for someone to come out, proves her statement at least.

Her eyes briefly flickered up to the cameras overhead, the bright, red light silently observing her from the background. Sayer's picture was plastered all over the city; if he left the hospital, everyone would recognize him as a criminal. Even in the General Hospital, she didn't think Sayer would've been treated the way he was. What he did to so many people shook everyone to the core, so much so no one could mistake him for anyone else, especially not the famous Yusei Fudo. Either that nurse was incredibly incompetent, or she was just blind.

Or she too, was simply following orders.

This wasn't just some random attack.

Before long, her golden orbs returned to the corpses in front of her. She neither shuddered, nor shied away from them, and instead, regarded their bodies evenly. Bite marks, feral scratches, so very much like the ones she saw in the garage. What were these people hoping to accomplish anyways? Why bring Akiza to that room, and have a murderous child wait outside, with a needle? Why slaughter the entire hospital staff? Were they looking for Yusei? Did have something to do with the Signers? Is that what all this was?

She felt the child beneath her begin to convulse.

It was shaking violently, its eyes wide with fear. It kept gurgling, trying desperately to squirm out of her grip. Its claws gripped the once smooth, white tiles, as it opened its mouth, a whispery scream pouring out of its throat. She saw white, silvery mucus come out from it, with tiny droplets of blood falling from its lips. It gasped painfully, attempting to reclaim the oxygen she knocked out of its body. Before long, the trembling stopped, and Akiza was left to stare at its cold, glassy eyes.

So that's what that drug did.

Steadily, she got up, and made her way back to the room. An frightening tranquility washed over her, the tiniest grips of reality coming back to terms with her. She didn't bother checking herself, to see if she was, at the very least, presentable enough, nor did she think twice about the child again. All that mattered now was getting both Yusei and Sayer to safety, as well as all the other survivors. She didn't have time for anything else.

She wrapped her fingers around the doorframe, and looked in. Sayer jolted up then, but when he started to talk, he froze.

Scared.

"Sayer," she stated then. "I've got to go now. I'll make sure to lock the door, alright?"

A few seconds later, he nodded.

"If I can find some crutches, I'll bring them to you."

Slowly, she reached down, and shut the door. She stared at it for a while, then turned back to the dead child, lying in the hallway. Then, without looking down, she stepped over the bodies and into the darkness.

* * *

Yusei clutched the walls, trying to steady himself, as his eyes adjusted to the same darkness. Iron diffused from their bodies, the faint scent of bleach easily coming to him without another hesitation. Forms began taking hold of his eyes, and before long, he could see the black and red oozing from them. Pristine lab coats seemingly draped the hallways in black, the soft azure from their shadows falling away from their bodies. He couldn't help but gaze at them for a while, before finally turning around, and continuing down the hospital corridors.

Torn, white curtains were stained with the same, gruesome liquid he'd seen just moments before. There were cracks in the windows, something only that the fickle moonlight could illuminate. As his footsteps resounded from the walls, the echoes gave way to a subtle, more primitive noise softly crawling through the hallways. If he stopped, his cool, icy breath halting in one, split second, he could hear something moving from within the shadows. Scavenging, before something tore away from the bodies; an arm, a leg, an organ. Yusei simply stood there quietly, and waited for the sounds to cease. When they did, he would look up, and continue on his way, as those presences left in search of the other survivors to kill.

He could practically see the shapeless animals in his mind, from the way they cowered, to the savage decorum they bestowed upon their victims. He could see their emaciated frames scouring for something to eat, something hideous, disgusting, horrible, anything their tiny hearts set their attentions on. He could see their clear, watery eyes, trying to comprehend the fear they've instilled upon others, all the while wallowing in their own, poetic morbidity. He could see the tissue falling from their bleeding gums, the painful quiet of their struggling meals still in play. He could see them crouching down, trying to hide their latest kill from their fellow companions, trying to gulp the entire thing down hurriedly, desperately. He could see them there, and he laughed.

Memories upon memories came crawling back to him, some of which were doused in pale nostalgia, others waiting beyond the brokenness of a cruel abyss. When he looked up, he saw that young woman there, from his dream, the woman who'd damned and saved him, dancing within the silhouettes of the corridors. There she was, smiling her own, idiotic, archaic smile, as she led him down the maddening moments they've shared together, the lachrymose entwined within her own shallow grave. Up ahead, he could see two other helpers behind her, with faces he knew all too well.

But he refused to join her merriment.

His eyes slid carefully from corner to corner, the tension building in his shoulders. Slowly, his hand began moving away from the wall, as he steadied himself from the aftereffects of the drug. Soon, he stopped stumbling, and not long after, his pace quickened, the alarm gradually descending onto him. He remembered the Violets' words, and just like that, the panic vanished.

Stoic, calm, even after he killed them.

Well, who else could have done it anyways?

He forced himself to slow down, as he heard the sounds yet again. Yes, he did do something like that…didn't he? He made a game, where anyone and everyone could come after him, could try and kill him, if only for the sake of some vain title. He wanted to know how many people would actually take his offer, how many would risk their own prides, for the sake of the slimmest of chances that they might've actually become the leader of the coven. No doubt there'd be some, but to think, that the nobles would take things so far…

The nobles…

He sighed disappointedly.

Jean Beaumont, a knight to the Black Rose, was an incompetent fool. He kept going on and on about how loyal he was to Yusei, how, even if he was tortured, he would never betray him in the least. The man would watch over the territories, guard the coven even if he had to die to do so. And yet, when Yusei had announced the game, he was the first to turn. He was the first to declare his candidacy, the first to point out that anyone who wasn't a pawn could participate, as long as they were willing to accept their shattered arrogance if they lose. He bet everything he had on that one, single hostage crisis, and he lost. A liar, a cheat, a coward, someone Yusei had thought about stripping him from his position time and time again. After all, no one wanted him there anymore, and the man was even starting to interfere with some of the operations. How many of those territories did he simply give away? How much chaos did he wreck, only for the hope that someday, he would take over the coven? Why he waited until now to act, however, was a complete mystery to Yusei.

Then there were the Violets. Bishops, from what he could remember. Bishops who didn't know when to shut their mouths when they were supposed to, bishops who were always talking on and on about how fun it'd be to kill and kill and kill. They were so annoying Yusei had a hard time tuning them out. If not for the fact that he'd forgotten about them, along with the obvious assurance that he never told them anything, he probably would've sold them off to some other coven. Unlike the other pawns, they never were children he should bring to meetings, and whenever he did, someone always ended up dying, which, of course, was bad for his reputation. If those children attacked an Ace or another King, it'd be an insult, a declaration of war. An easy war, but a war nonetheless. Still, the way they spoke was charming, and he would've spared them, if not for the fact that they mentioned Amrbosine.

As he began walking again, his eyes slid to the mark on his arm. He was only beginning to recall the animosity he'd lost, and remembering this abnormal thing on his skin was enough for him to recall even more. Beaumont had said before that this thing was a mark of Fallen. An organization, and a source of hatred between the Signers and the coven.

Someone had sent him a box of cyanide, along with the alias _Nikolai Izinski_ written upon it. He couldn't tell whether or not that was a threat, or if someone had just decided to play some harmless prank on him. Yusei would've casted the doubts from his mind, had it not been for the fact that Sayer attacked him just a few days later. Akiza losing her memory of the incident was yet another source of confusion for him.

His mind came to the mysterious person named Amrbosine. Could she have something to do with those incidences? Perhaps, considering how those stupid Violets, of all people, managed to point her out. Then of course, it could also be an alias; aside from that name, there was nothing else he could go off of. And he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about getting anyone involved into this mess.

As he rounded the corner, the steel staircase carefully spiraling downwards, he caught a glimpse of the same scenes he'd seen from across the halls. He saw it, and he walked on ahead, without any mention of the victims lying nearby. He'd seen so many nightmares now he'd gotten used to it. He'd seen the bodies and the gore, and even before he had, it seems the scene was so familiar to him now, a scene he'd known for so many years.

He checked the rooms, the doors, everything he could think of. After he woke up, he saw the Violets leaning toward him, traitors who had a connection the person called Amrbosine, a woman who decided to "take him in." Judging from the way things stood within the hospital, it seems she'd no intention of helping him. If anything, from the way those two boys behaved, to the grotesque wounds on the corpses lying around, she might've even wanted him dead. With everything that's happened so far, it's safe to say that it had something to do with the Black Rose coven.

Sir.

And again, he laughed.

He made a game, in which he would allow the nobles to try and kill him. Candidates who, if they succeeded, could lead the coven in a new direction, somewhere that led everyone out of the edge of nothingness. Candidates that would, at the very least, be strong enough to subdue enemies, all the while destroy everything around them, keeping only the members safe. Candidates who, if they took over, everyone would cower away from, who would give the coven a darker title, one that represented a regret Yusei had no idea had existed until now.

Mark of the Crimson Dragon. Saving the world from destruction. Defeating the Dark Signers. Prejudice erased from society, both high and low. The Satellite and Neo Domino, coming together to finally resolve their issues. A peace everyone was after, a dream that'd finally been realized.

The lie was so pathetic he could just _die._

Carefully he walked into the security room, avoiding the shadows lingering near. When he was sure they were gone, he silently closed the door and turned back, his finger flickering the lights as they did. He blinked away the brightness, as he examined the monitors. He stepped over the bodies of the security guards, and casually set himself in front of the screens, his icy blue eyes reflecting back everything toward him.

Those things were prowling around, creatures that kind of looked like dogs. When he squinted, he saw tiny hands, tiny feet, and it wasn't long before he realized that they were children. He bit the inside of his lip, as he watched the same scene over and over again. Cannibalism, scavenging, eating anything they could get their hands on; he could just sit there, and predict the results. Sometimes, they'd spit their parts out altogether, while other times, they simply shake violently, their eyes wide with fear and realization, before finally stumbling away, quick to escape the cameras.

His fingers came toward the mouse. As he switched through the monitors, he couldn't help but notice a familiar silhouette, standing there, just through the curtains. He couldn't see who it was, though by the time he turned away, it vanished, fleeing from him as it would before. Yusei paused for a brief second, then checked the other cameras; probably just another straggler.

And then he saw her.

Akiza.


	23. Chapter 23

The adrenaline coursed through her veins as she ran, strands of hair flying away from her. Sharp breaths pierced her lungs, her own trembling causing her to stumble. Her heartbeat kept pounding against her ears so loudly she could barely hear her own footsteps. The panic was pressed against her chest, with a silent scream building inside her throat. Her eyes kept darting from corner to corner, trying to find somewhere to hide, or at the very least, to calm down. From the floors, she could see the same feral shadows chasing after her, their maddening eyes fixated onto her. Akiza gritted her teeth, and continued running.

She still had the needle in her pocket, though she doubted it'd do her any good now. She had to leave the board behind, since it only slowed her down. As for finding the security room; she had absolutely no idea where she was going. And though she still maintained her calm demeanor, even that facade was beginning to slip away. She couldn't do much of anything, couldn't think straight, couldn't even pull back the eerie tranquility she had from before. It was as if that prowess had just faded from her, from the moment she stepped into the darkness. Her thoughts became flurried and flustered, her thoughts now focused solely on surviving; a multitude of times she thought of getting out of the hospital and calling for help elsewhere, though her pride said otherwise.

The hallways had the same bodies, with the same silhouettes pursuing her; everything looked so similar, and it felt like she was going in circles. She couldn't even find the balconies, and she knew better than to take the elevators. There was only one staircase didn't lead to a dead end, but that'd take her to the lobby. And because of that crippling paranoia, she was stuck here, on the same floor, until otherwise.

She clenched her fists, and swirled around, shakily holding the needle in hand. Where was Yusei? Was he even alive? Did those things get to him? And what about Sayer? Did she screw those vents tightly enough? Were those things banging against the door right now, trying to get in? Most likely.

The questions disappeared the moment she saw those things again.

There were three of them this time. They looked a bit like the monster she saw the last time, though they were more inhuman, with an edge of savagery adorning their expressions. They were prowling around her, their black claws scratching against the floor, leaving bloody handprints on the floor. Saliva cascaded from their mouths, which formed clear puddles beneath their jaws. Just behind them, crimson was splattered throughout the tiles, and when they looked up, she saw their white corneas reflecting back at them the sea of gore they left behind. It seemed the only thing they understood was the fact that Akiza was alive and well, with a beating heart they needed to taste.

There was absolutely no way they'd let her leave. The most she could get from them was that they'd make sure she passed out from the pain of being eaten alive. And even that was risky, considering the screams she's heard from before.

She took a deep breath then. The one on the middle was closing in on her, the avariciousness so clearly evident in its eyes. The other two, however, seemed to shy away from it, and though the same greed possessed them, they were more than willing to allow the middle one to go first. No, they wanted it to lead. Either they were afraid of the middle one, or they were simply allowing its primitive instincts to take over and go for the kill. She squinted her eyes, and saw the exact same scars covering on all three of their bodies. She held the needle tighter, and took a wary step back. No dominance nor supremacy; a disorganized pack then.

The one on the middle was going to attack first; it won't be able to hold itself back much longer. The one on the right seemed more primitive than the last, and the one on the left was the most similar to the creature she fought from before. Unlike the other two, the one on the left was the only one who knew when to strike, when to instinctively back away. But though it was the most intelligent, in the end it carried the same, animalistic logic the others had. It was through that Akiza steadied herself and looked down. Slowly, she bent down, and took over both her pumps with a single hand. As expected, their gazes followed her hands.

Then, in one fluid motion, she threw the heel in the middle one's eye. In that same moment, she moved herself forward, leaving the other shoe behind. The one on the right was moving in, as the one on the left. They both had their claws outward, fangs barred, ready for her flesh. They wanted her to go left; it'd be the most natural thing she'd have done. Go left, and they'd be waiting for her. Go right, and she'd be cornered. The straight shot was narrow, but all the same, it was her only way out.

Without thinking, she grabbed the shoe and tore it into the creature's eye, the howling screams piercing her own ears. Still, she cuffed the neck of its hospital gown, and thrust the creature toward its companions. When she did, she quickly dodged yet another lunge, and tore the needle into one of their necks. Without waiting another moment, she grabbed the needle and dragged it across its throat, the blood streaming out from its glands. She froze for a split second, causing the third one to come after her. It was only when she felt its leg on her teeth did she turn, and see it there. She winced at the pain, as she quickly drew the needle up again, and pried away its mouth, before dragging the needle upwards and slicing away at its gums.

She jumped back, and grabbed her other shoe. She attacked the mouth, and since it was still holding itself, she had a while before it tried moving in again. The first one was nearly decapitated, and though it was still moving, Akiza shoved the shock away, forcing herself to calm down. She could see the veins coming back together, as she had the last time, and though it was slowly regaining its senses, in the end it wasn't an immediate threat. But it was clear cutting off the head wasn't going to do any good. The drug she used before had killed the last one instantaneously, but of course, who's to say if they'd react the same way? And even if they did, there wasn't enough of the drug to stimulate the same response. But she clutched the needle, and dived in again.

One of the claws attempted cracking her skull open, but she dodged it. She jammed the needle into the arm, and slashed it open, revealing traces of bones upon the floors. When it paused, she twisted back, and stabbed it in the eye. She tore it out just then, twisted its arm, and threw it at the others. She was about to go in again, when she flinched at the sudden pain erupting from her leg and arm. Though it was but a mere second, it was that single moment when she saw the other two lunge for her.

 _Shit._

She held up her other arm, all the while moving away. She fought down a painful cry, as she held her balance. They were tearing at her coat now, trying to force through it, if only to catch a glimpse at the meal in front of them. She cursed silently, as brought the needle against its face, and stabbed it once again. Nothing.

She yelped in pain and looked down, seeing those hands now clawing at her legs, leaving three bloody scratch marks on her skin. Automatically, she stomped the creature to the ground before it could bite her, smashing its face to the tiles. She turned her attention back to the other creature; she could feel its fangs against her knee, endeavoring to twist it away, trying to break her apart with each thrust it made. She lost her balance, and fell to the floor.

It started dragging her down the halls. As it did, its fangs sank deeper and deeper into her skin, so much so she could feel every vein snap into two. She fought the urge to close her eyes in pain, the fatigue severely weighing her down. If this thing ran into some body, there's a good chance she might lose that leg.

A body.

She tossed the needle aside. She ignored the burning sensation erupting from her leg, her own blood running across the floors, as she searched desperately for something, anything. There was another limb there, somewhere, hidden within the darkness. She couldn't help but smile, as she grabbed it, and threw tossed it ahead. The creature stumbled then, and immediately let go, surprised by yet another meal presented in front of it.

She rolled back, but managed to land on her feet. She unwrapped her corset then, and raced toward the creature, as it was still there, savoring the arm. Before it knew, she wrapped the corset around its throat, and began suffocating it. Her tiny hands held the corset tightly, urging herself mentally not to let go, else she'd become the next victim. She ignored its claws, as it tore apart her skin, her blood racing through the lines of her hands. She ignored its whines, as it began screaming its noiseless screams, the sight of its pitiful life flashing before its eyes. She heard a familiar _crunch,_ before finally, the creature fell limp. She shoved it away then, the corset still in her fingers as she did.

Decapitation won't work, but drugs and suffocation will. Crushing them to death helps too, but other than that, nothing else would do. They healed fast, faster than any normal human could, though they were clumsy, uncoordinated. Unlike the one from before, they didn't walk like a normal person. They ran like dogs, and whenever they look up, that same primitive mindset took over, their nightmarish desires laid out for her to see.

And yet, despite that, there were times when they seemed more than submissive. Though they were more animal than human, from their faces, as well as from the creature's execution just now, they did feel _something._ They knew full well they wanted to stay alive, meaning they probably wandered in here because they wanted to survive, some more than others. They had more than food on their minds, and it was through that sensation did they operate. Locking her in a room with Sayer, that creature waiting outside for her, coinciding with the obvious reality that these creatures were attacking the hospital staff; they were put here for a reason. They haven't completely lost themselves yet though, that much was certain. After all, no living thing wanted to die.

And besides which, she's seen those eyes before. She's seen those lights, those eerily familiar orbs reminding her of Alexis, somehow, someway.

Alexis.

Alexis Rhodes.

She could hear sounds racing toward the hallway, the same screeches callously making their way toward her location. She narrowed her eyes, staring briefly at the empty space in front of her, before turning back to the creature. This one was blind, but it knew where it was going. Meaning there were other senses it could rely on, and if that was the case, it'd more than likely rely on smell and, judging from the wild chaos coming toward her, sound. These things kept eating everything in sight, and since it was dark, those two senses were the only guides they had to go off of.

Those things were following sight and sound. How precise they were in detecting her from those two senses alone, she was about to test that.

She saw the familiar coat up ahead, grabbed it, and came back. This thing had her blood all over it, and if they were as primitive as animals, they'd probably come racing here first. They didn't have the capacity to think anything strange of this situation.

She stared down at her coat for a brief second, before pressing it against her leg. She winced at the pain, but continued, the blood already drenching the fabric. She then dropped her coat and the corset on top of the creature, and stared up at the ceiling. The tiles were always loose; she'd noticed that, ever since she came out of the hospital. Almost anyone could reach up and hide in the attic, and it was through that memory that she did so. She came to the windowsill, placed a single footprint onto the sill, and brought herself up to the ceiling. She forced the tiles open, and climbed in. She moved the tiles back, and waited there, in the darkness.

Cold sweat dripped from her forehead, as she scanned the shadows, her pupils adjusting to the already dangerous situation. Nothing here.

The vents were nearby, but it seems she wouldn't need to climb through them after all. If she was lucky, those things won't even know about this place. Distract them long enough, then she'd be able to find something for Sayer to walk with, have enough time to see if Yusei was alright or not. That, at least, was something she'd be able to do.

She closed her eyes, as the feral sounds drew nearer, with her own friend returning to her once again. Her friend, and the creatures below.

Alexis always told her she loved fire, for one reason or another. Whenever she talked about it, her eyes would become the same, darkened color that the creatures here held in their expressions. The girl would go on and on about how much she liked burning things, so much so Jaden would have to take the lighter away from her whenever she did. There were times when even Jaden would come up to complain to Akiza about how the girl's antics have gotten them into serious trouble. Oftentimes, Akiza would just laugh, and brush the entire thing aside.

There was one time when Akiza lit a candle for Alexis's birthday. She put the flame on a cupcake, and handed it to the girl, telling her to make a wish. The blonde never did; she just stared at the candle, enchanted by its warmth and light. She tried to touch it, but Jaden held her back. Akiza extinguished the flame, and that was that.

 _Says if I went there with him, I might as well have just burned down the whole station._

She clutched the tiles. By now, those things might already be down there, sniffing around, trying to catch her scent, hear her breaths. Her clothes won't hold them for long. She bit her lip, as she kept searching and searching.

And then she found it.

The power box.

The electrical wires were there, just hanging from the wall.

She bit her lip, and began dragging herself towards that box. It was strange, how something like this was just up here. Normally, it'd be in the storage room. And besides which; the roof was a bit risky, wasn't it? There's no telling what could happen up here, what kind of hazardous materials would be up here, ready and waiting to burn everything to the ground.

But wordlessly, she began creating the spark, the smell slowly diffusing through the air. She grimaced at the heat, the familiarity of the situation still drifting toward her. And all the while, Alexis's words kept pounding against her mind, their supposedly forgotten conversation softly evoking an unpleasant emotion, deep within the pit of her stomach.

Alexis loved things like this.

And though he'd never admit, Jaden did too.

She's seen them done this before, many times over.

* * *

Yusei slammed the creatures against the walls, its spine breaking at his forceful suggestions. Frustration permeated from his frame as he walked through the corridors, his eyes carefully scanning the cameras as he did. His fists clenched, with a quiet, seething rage present in his frown, he swept past the hallways. All the while, those things kept away from him, silently whimpering at his own brutal presence. Though they were animals, nonetheless, they still kept themselves out of trouble. None dared cross him.

Akiza.

Akiza's here.

 _What the hell is she doing here?_

Explanations kept racing across his mind, as he shifted through every possible excuse he could come up. Was Sayer involved in this? And what about Amrbosine? Did Akiza know about them? Was she here because of the Black Rose, or because of something else? More importantly, what was she even _thinking,_ staying here at a time like this? Why wasn't she going toward the lobby? What'd those two _idiots_ do to her?

The last time he saw Akiza, Yusei caught her running away from the very same creatures that bowed to him now. Frightened, shaking, with nothing but a needle in her hand, she was doing everything she could to try and get away. He could only stare at the tense moments for a brief second, before flying out of the room. He never took care to pay any attention to the hallways, knowing full well they were all the same on the floor she was on. He never bothered seeing what'd happened next, whether or not she'd prevail against her assailants; he didn't want to stick around to find out whether or not she'd be able to use her powers against them. Nor did he want to see the same, bloody mess he saw back at the mall; he was going to take care of it. She didn't need to get involved.

She must be scared out of her mind.

And yet, it was his fault she got caught up in all of this.

Yet another body lay there, on the floor, dead at his feet. Then another, then another, then another, all of whom were ready and willing to accept whatever punishment Yusei would give them. It didn't matter if they were with those Violets or not; in the end they weren't worth his time.

Yusei bit his lip.

She'd died, right in front of him.

And now here she was, alive again, running like a madwoman.

Just then, he heard a loud explosion resound from the hallways. And with it, bright flames that engulfed everything around it.


	24. Chapter 24

Bursts of light blinded her severely, as laughing silhouettes shrouded her sight. She could feel her blood evaporating within her, the hellish tongues from the flames easily claiming her extremities. Her fingers burned from the pain, her charred skin emitting its own, noxious embers. Crimson cascaded down her ears, accompanied by a deafening ring echoing throughout the air. Numbness coated her body, as the cackle of the flames caressed the silence surrounding her, all the while covering her vision in a mess of gray and orange. Red strands of hair splayed themselves all around her, those shimmering reflections easily gazing back at them with feral delight.

She clutched the ground, her nails scraping past dried scarlet. All the oxygen kept escaping her body, rapidly diffusing into the starved fires. When she tried sitting up, she cried out, the searing pain entwined within her back. She saw the empty darkness staring up in front of her, the ceiling already entwined within the thick wall of flames burning so casually near. She bit the inside of her cheek, as she tried moving again, only to fail miserably.

And yet, despite that, she could still see them.

She could still see their familiar shadows racing towards her, their instincts taking over. She could see them, mouths wide, fangs filled with organs and limbs and the like, the excitement clearly settled within their eyes. She could see them press on with all their might, that same, terrifying greed evident in their enthusiastic heartbeats. She could see the saliva already coating upon their mouths. She closed her eyes, and endeavored willing them away. And yet, when she reopened them, she saw those monsters.

Limbs, stricken with ash, with tiny red spots covering their torsos. Some had arms missing, others legs, and even still, half of their skulls. Even through her blood she could see their ribs, their still beating hearts disintegrating within the caress of the nightmarish flames. She could see them there, with those same, predatory smiles on their faces, as they licked their charred lips, ready for yet another buffet.

She screamed for herself to run. Her body kept twitching desperately, doing whatever it could to try and escape. Only fear kept her awake, though the fatigue had burdened her, so much so she only thought of lying there for a few more seconds, a few more moments. Dying and surviving meshed together, the lines blurred until finally, she'd no idea whether or not this was all just a dream, a frightening illusion she could shatter. But as they drew closer, Akiza had immediately cast away the notion, and once more, she attempted to stand. She opened her mouth, tried calling for help, though in the end, that same, whispery plea fell from her lips.

All the while, they drew closer and closer. She could almost smell them now, their breaths cutting through the smoke. Formless shapes, ominous shapes, practically every tiny thing surrounding her. She shut her eyes, terrified of the fate that awaited her.

"Aki?"

She froze.

Yusei?

Warily, she reopened her eyes. She couldn't see anything, nothing at all but blinding darkness. And yet she felt her body being cradled by a cool presence, a shadow that shielded her from the flames. She tried clinging to it desperately, knowing full well the monsters that were waiting for her, the nightmare she tried waking up from. But when she tried hiding behind that presence however, she fell limp, the weariness overtaking her with its own burdens.

"Aki," Yusei whispered softly. "Are you alright?"

She didn't answer.

"Aki?"

Again, nothing.

Slowly, she allowed herself to lean against his chest, and closed her flickering eyes once again. A steady heartbeat, with cool hands to relinquish the fire. There was a brief pause, before she felt his icy fingers brush away her bangs. "You're going to be okay."

She managed a nod.

"Can you sleep for a while?"

She did just that.


	25. Memory

I stare out at the television screen, my fingers wrapped tightly around the remote. A tiny frown settles against my face, as my gaze lingers to the director's face for a bit longer. It'd take a while, before the incident vanishes completely, but then of course, I could be wrong. And even after that, people were still liable to bring up the incident, should the hospital ever reopen. By then, Sector Security would probably have taken over.

Almost every reporter in Neo Domino came to that hospital, with the same, horrified expressions as the normals. After a few moments of silence, they started demanding answers as to what exactly had happened, with the director's shameful face evoking even more suspicions. The rabid look in the public's eyes enticed the security guards to keep backing away, their once powerful dispositions slowly crumbling beneath the weight of the interrogations. Angered families and friends kept pressing against the yellow tape, trying to catch a glimpse of their loved ones' bodies, all the while screaming, shouting, calling their names. There were a few bystanders in the crowds, most of which kept whispering to each other about the mall hijackers from the other day. And yet, despite that, their thoughts were brushed aside, in favor of a weary, rash excuse that this was all just some tragic accident. Apparently, the fuse box had broken, and since there was a gas leak in the hospital, that was probably when it'd happened. The director had already apologized for the deaths, and has agreed to a settlement of more than 4 billion to the grieving families, as well as to the public. Another 50 million to ensure that something like this never happens again.

I gaze out at them for the longest time, then I turn my attention to the charred hospital, knowing full well how ludicrous this "tragic accident" seemed. Half of the building was destroyed in the blast. Police were swarming the scene, with white body bags in hand, as they examined the remains of whatever was left there, from bodies, to lab coats, to even the smallest traces of gasoline still lingering near the vicinity, though that, of course, amounted to nothing. If I squinted, I could make out the silver gleam of the needles left behind, along with a bit of the drugs still soaked there, drenched in black and red. I couldn't see any of the monsters; I did crush them to death after all, and even if someone did notice them, they'd more than likely just brush the monsters off as other victims they missed.

The news wasn't all that exciting. In fact, if anything, a bit boring, considering the fact no new suspects had shown up. Just as I was about to shut off the screen, one of the reporters shoved the camera around a bit, and I found myself looking at Sayer.

As of this point, he wasn't saying anything. Whenever someone tried pressing him for details, they were only forced back by Sector Security, most of whom were acting without Trudge's authorization. The man was careful to hide his face, though in the end, I could still see through his oversized trench coat, the hospital gown miserably clinging to him like oversized rags. The fear was still in his eyes, and it was then I had to laugh. How the hell is _he_ still alive?

My eyes flicker towards the bright, morning light diffusing through the white curtains. Warm floorboards reflected back upon her bedroom, sharply contrasting to the disappearing shadows. There was a simple, auburn desk towards the side of the room, and just near it, a white bed, one that was already sullied by the young woman lying upon it. Dried bloodstains covered the sheets, with small traces of dirt falling away from the blankets. A torn, Victorian coat sat beside her, and along with it, a ruined corset, dyed with a bright scarlet that kept getting darker and darker by the minute.

Slowly, I straighten, and come to the bed, cautiously taking in Akiza's unmoving body. The dress she wore was drenched in blood, and tiny teeth marks covered her arms and legs. Her gloves were torn by the flames, and when I leaned over, I could see the ugly bruises enveloped around it. A broken leg or so, along with an infection that was too stubborn to leave, but she was already healing.

Seems I didn't need to take her to a hospital after all.

I sat at the edge of the bed, regarding the empty space in front of me with calm, stoic eyes. My hands painfully clenched the open air. Weariness kept bombarding my body with their annoying sights, the quiet easily claiming me without hesitation. It was then I sighed.

It hadn't even been a few hours, and already I could details I should've forgotten so many years ago. Some finite, others vague, some beautiful, others a mess I'd only wished I'd made up. I'd find myself balking at the idea of the horror, trying to force myself into believing that it was just nightmare that'd go away. Needless to say, my brain didn't heed my words, and as a result, I'm left here, if only to see the moments I never knew had existed.

And yet, I couldn't react. I could only just watch, the annoyance upon my expression, before shocking realization comes forth, shattering the illusion completely. One after the other, those memories came flowing in, mocking me, taunting me by blurring the lines between past and present. Unnecessary, irritating, a nuisance just waiting to be put down.

I gaze at the television screen once again. Well, whatever; it didn't matter what anyone else had to say about the hospital. I'd already deleted the footage and burned all the files. I fed the two Violets to those monsters waiting in the hallways, so even on the off chance that they were still alive, at least now there'd be no way they could tell anyone else about me. Everyone from the medical staff has been killed, meaning there'd be no witnesses.

And as for Sayer, I don't think I can just leave him alone, after the stunt he pulled. Showing his face around me, flaunting his psychic powers, even calling me by that _damn name_ ; there were a lot of reckless mistakes he's made. Since the public knows about what he did, it'd be hard for him to go out without causing a commotion, so he was going to have to lay low for a while. Still, to that after he'd gotten out, he'd try to outright kill me…it didn't seem like the smartest thing to do. He was at the same hospital I was in, and based on that fact alone, there's a chance he might have something to do with all of this. If he got a chance to talk with Akiza, then-

I heard a subtle ring, off in the distance. I drag myself out from my thoughts, and turn back toward Akiza. I stand, walk over, and take the phone from her pocket. My fingers hover near the collar ID, as I narrow my eyes. The twins.

I turn the phone off, and throw it at the edge of the bed. Carefully, I shrug off my jacket, and carry it in my arms, as I walk out of her room. It'd be bad if I walked around like this, covered in bloodstains and organ parts.

* * *

Fallen was an organization that destroyed anything and everything around it. True to their name, they loved playing with the occult, both real and imagined, enjoyed toying with the creatures hiding in the darkness. Sometimes, they'd try making lamias, other times fairies, and even still, other obscure creatures I'd forgotten all the names to. But the one creature that they always focused on, an obsession they kept trying to create time and time again, was a demon. An immortal. A human that'd fallen from grace.

I wasn't involved with the research aspect of it, but from what I heard, they experimented with a lot of children. Most of the time, the experiments failed, and as a result, bodies were dumped in nearby villages. We let the witch hunters take care of them, form their own suspicions, allow other innocents to die, without any care of the world. But for the few times that Fallen did succeed, those children lost their humanity. There was nothing else that could be done to save them, aside from letting them feed off the other scraps and trash. I once oversaw the feeding grounds, and fed them limbs and other body parts I found. After that, I was left to wonder if they were even human to begin with.

As sickening as it was, I was fine with it. After all, I, along with my siblings, led that organization. No, we didn't establish it; rather, we were born into that world. Unlike the other children, from the moment we were taken out of the womb, we were experimented on. They didn't expect us to survive, but somehow, we did, and as a result, we became the first demons.

There was Meredith, or rather, Mree, the eldest of us, who had established herself as the Commander. Raven hair, with warm, brown eyes, she was the Commander for Fallen, an expert mass murderer, who specialized in poisons and bombs. She was a kind woman, who didn't enjoy what she was doing, and whenever she did, she always had a fake smile plastered on her face. Unlike any of us, she was compassionate, her own soul never meant to lead the life it was leading. It was what caused her to go insane, to be shut down. It was painful, to see her lying in that bed, muttering gibberish with drool running down her mouth. It seemed that the asylum walls were closing in around her, trapping her, throwing her to the midst of her own, mental depravity. And yet, life kept moving, because when she left, the second oldest, Belletrix, took over.

Belletrix was crueler, more merciless than anyone I'd ever known. She was smart, cunning, and because of that, never once did she tolerate anyone who disobeyed her. She wasn't unstable, and she seemed to always be in control of anything and everything around her. It was one of the reasons why I followed her. Under her leadership, Fallen expanded, growing without the slightest reservation that something would happen. More and more demons were produced, and as a result, Fallen had gained the upper hand when it came to negotiations. I remembered her once even tricking Tepes into killing every "sinner" in Bucharest, scaring them into submission so that he'd supply us with more bodies to feed our demons.

Jaden, my younger brother, was involved in research and development. Unlike me or Belletrix, he wasn't particularly interested in the battlefield, and instead, became consumed with the process of immortality. The monsters we created kept degrading; some died in only a few days, others a couple of hours. But one commonality they all shared was the fact that they'd lost their sanities. Perhaps he was trying to find a way to keep their minds intact, or maybe he was just focused on making more demons. Who knows what he was doing, after all this time? But even then, we both loved Meredith, and we got along well together. He was always socially awkward, had absolutely no clue about what to do when it came to normal society. I usually had to step in and help, though eventually, he managed to learn from me and copy my examples. We were close.

I served as second-in-command to Belletrix. Not only was I involved in wars, but I also acted as her representative. She wasn't a people person, so I had to step in and make sure everything went smoothly. It gave me a lot of authority to carry out special experiments, fund intriguing projects, and, at times, carry out assassinations. Everything I did, however, Belletrix knew. So in order to prevent me from "accidentally" abusing my power, she'd usually assign me targets to seduce and kill. Young lords in castles far away, to magnificent duchesses within a realm of insanity, to even kings and queens, all of whom operated beneath the public eye; their deaths, in the end, all served a purpose to Fallen. I didn't ask why, since I was a subordinate.

The Black Rose witch was a product of Fallen. She was one of the first true demons, a witch that'd risen from her shallow hell. For years on end, she slaughtered each and every experiment Fallen possessed. She's killed hundreds, _thousands,_ without any hesitation, and annihilated every branch she visited. I don't know when it was that Belletrix decided to hunt her down, but when she did I'd never forget those moments. Terrifying and frightened, determined yet craven, but all the same, I wasn't really interested. It was Belletrix's problem, this witch, so let her deal with it.

My obsession began when Belletrix told me the witch killed Jaden. While I disregarded the pain my sister felt, I wasn't one to forgive and forget. I spent years trying to track her down, endeavoring to find her, despite the misgivings and warnings. But as I did, Belletrix started to slip. She became increasingly distraught, as she tried managing Fallen, while dealing with the aspect of our dead brother.

I did manage to find the witch a couple of times. No matter how often I went after her, or how hard I fought, in the end she always overpowered me. She kept telling me how interesting I was, and how badly she wanted to see me again. I, of course, ignored her, and stubbornly went after her again and again. Over time, the insults kept building up, until finally, I slowly began letting go of my hate, and instead, concentrated only on my damaged pride. I was fixated on her, and only her; she was my kill, and I wasn't going to let anyone else get to her. Not Fallen, and especially not Belletrix.

It was wrong, I'm sure. By then, I was probably only using Jaden's death as an excuse to go after her. Revenge was no longer my goal; perhaps the only thing I cared about, at that time, was showing the witch that I could do anything, that I wasn't just some plaything she could toss around on a whim.

That all changed when I met my brother, just outside Krakow. And, months later, when that witch gave me my first order.

We were at the asylum that Mree was staying at. I didn't know why the witch was there, or what she wanted from my sister. But when I saw her, that night, her tear-streaked cheeks frozen along the edges of her face, I stopped. I saw her fists clenched, with a tight smile grazing her lips.

She took a deep breath, and told me to turn away. So I closed my eyes, and did just that.

I'll never forget the smile on Mree's face when she died.

* * *

After that incident, Belletrix found out. She tried executing me, and that was when the witch saved me. She gave me the name Yusei, and we ran off, if only to destroy the only world I'd ever known.

It was always just the four of us, she, Jaden, Alexis and I. Alexis was the first member; she was one of the few experiments to had escaped from Fallen. Akiza took her in, and years later, Jaden came, if only to search for Alexis, his own creation. Finally, there was me, and it's been that way ever since. We sometimes lived in grand manors, other times lonely castles, and even still, mere cottages we've taken from other covens. There were always witches coming up to Akiza and paying their fees, witches that kept challenging her for the title of the Black Rose, witches that always complained about her not showing up to any of the sabbath days. I could honestly say that she didn't care about a single one of them.

It was fun, while it lasted. She took me to conferences she barely went to, and flaunted me as her one and only Queen, however risky that might've been. All the animosity I carried for her vanished over the years, to the point I couldn't even remember what it felt like, not to serve under her. I admired her, respected her, and though she was always getting herself into trouble one way or another, in the end, she managed to pull me out of her own problems. She gave me a home, a family, and for a while, I was content. The insanity I'd experienced before had never presumed to touch me.

She once told me about how everything was just like Russian roulette to her, that life wasn't worth living unless you're within the realms of excitement, of unpredictability. Though she must've gotten used to that lifestyle, to me, she never showed it. She never had any traces of weariness, nothing at all that pertained to the silence of a premature grave. She was always lively, and made sure to drag me down every step of the way.

Her laugh, her smiles, jokes she's told, stories she's shared; I loved all of it. I loved the world she showed me, however tainted it was in the end. I loved the cool, barren traces of whatever light was left by the time evening came, the innocence that faded from me the moment I came away from the crimson. I loved watching the dark, star filled nights, without the cold, ghastly moonlight showing me the way. I loved stumbling around in the dark, groping my way around the cold, only for her to grab my hand, and lead me back. It was a reality I was addicted to, and it was through that, I couldn't let go. I loved everything about that world.

And I loved her.

I really did.

Even after all this time, I'm still mourning for her.

For Akiza.

* * *

The Black Rose coven carried a powerful, global influence that extended from politics, to economics, to laws and the like. We blackmailed politicians into doing what we wanted rather than just upfront wars. Though it was relatively obscure in the past, under strategic management, the coven managed to grow. We kept incorporating more and more minor covens, until finally, it became the organization it is now. Though there were other rivals within the different covens, in the end no one can dispute our power.

All the same, it followed the same rules as all the other covens did. Like all the others, it was led by one, tyrannical leader, one that could determine whether someone lives or dies, whether peace or war would reign, whether someone would be stripped of their titles or not. The coven leader, or King, was always at the top. Following that chain of command, there was the Queen, then the Rook, then the Bishop, then the Knight, then the Pawn. But it didn't matter what rank they were; to me, they were all the same.

After Akiza, I took the title of the Black Rose, which of course, made me the King. I made Jaden and Alexis my Queens, and gave other positions to everyone else. Since everyone was happy that they'd gotten a title, no one bothered me. It was an effective administrative strategy, at the very least; I put Jaden in charge of research, and Alexis, military. I didn't need an assistant, since I knew how to manipulate the other aristocrats, nor did I need funds, since I secured it from the fees the other covens had to pay.

There were challengers every now and then. Some called me "The Gardener", a title given to the Queen, while other times, "the witch", who had to be burned at the stakes. And even still, there were more titles, whether that be the Black Rose itself, or just some random insult the lesser nobles came up with. I had to show up to every single one of those challenges, as did Jaden and Alexis, though they weren't particularly excited; they knew who would win. Still, I had to make them go, otherwise they'd be called cowards for it. And people already knew who they were, so them not showing up was just another excuse to try and claim the title. It was savage, brutal, and dull.

But then again, perhaps it wasn't. Perhaps it was just a way of coping with our loss. I'd lost track of time after Akiza had died; days kept blending with nights, hours with decades. Alexis would have to remind me every now and then that there was some event coming up. Jaden kept track of the fights that happened, as well as the arguments the aristocracy got themselves into, dealings I'd have to sort out.

How many years did I have to deal with that? How long, since her death, so many years ago? How long have I slept walked through this lifetime, waiting for the time when I could finally join her? Did those two notice? Probably, considering how I, when I always turn around, something gets resolved. They were good, those two, like precious moments from a nostalgic time.

Now that I think about it, Alexis was the one who told me. I remembered her running excitedly up to me one day, with a big smile on her face, saying that Akiza was alive. That she was somewhere, in Domino City, waiting for us to come find her. Alexis kept telling me about how both she and Jaden finally came up with something to bring her back, how everything would go back to how they used to be. She was bouncing off the walls, even as Jaden walked in, with the same, cautious smile on his face. But in my mind, I'd already dismissed their requests, and had gone back to my work. I was the one who ended her; I'd know if she was dead or not. I couldn't look at them the next day.

But all the same, they kept coming back up to me. They were going on and on about her, about how she looked just like Akiza, how she acted like her too. After I ignored that, Jaden, of all people, told me that both he and Alexis talked with her. He sat there, for hours on end, relaying back to me the stories the girl told, the whimsical way she told them, with Alexis laughing as she used to. I ordered the two not to go back, and left it at that.

They, of course, didn't take listen. Instead, they kept visiting the girl, sometimes carrying presents, oftentimes with a citation that they needed help burning. Though I never entertained the thought of visiting her, I could see the change in those two; it'd been a while, since I saw them smile like that. After a few more weeks of bickering, I decided to let them do as they wished.

Meanwhile, there was a disagreement between the major covens. Apparently, the Black Rose was beginning to steal other members away from the other covens, and they wanted to enact a policy to try and stop them from leaving, a benefit from some alliance I'd never heard of. Of course, I had nothing to do with it, though they pretended that it was my fault. They began imposing sanctions on my trade routes, and started bribing major political figures into doing whatever they had to to stamp out my influence. Sometimes, it took the shape of massacres, other times, discrimination and prejudice. There was one time when they attacked the borders in Helsinki, Finland, trying to force us back. That, of course, didn't prove effective, since Alexis slaughtered them all.

The incident gave me a good excuse to squash the other covens completely. I remembered seeing their shocked faces, at how one, simple person could destroy an entire army of witches and monsters. I told them that should they try ganging up again, I won't hesitate to annihilate them, no matter how many innocents got caught up, or how many nations I had to destroy. I'd hunt them down, and kill them.

Fortunately, that didn't deter them in the slightest. One by one, territories began rising up against the Black Rose. There were a few in Chicago, some in Cairo, though most were centered in Romania and Belarus. The rebellions were scattered, and though neither Jaden nor Alexis could handle them both, they didn't have to. After all, this coven wasn't like the others; we didn't impose any laws on our territories, as the other covens had, and aside from the small fees, no one seemed to mind us. We allowed the other minor covens to keep their autonomy, and in exchange, they recognized me as their leader. I've stricken deals with many of them, and aided the when the other covens were attacking; I've sponsored them, supported them, and had even, at one point, offered them their freedoms. In other words, I've turned them into submissive pawns, if only for my sake.

So, when the rival territories began attacking, those minor covens were the ones who put them down.

After the idiotic confrontation, whatever rivals I had left were thoroughly stamped out, leaving the Black Rose to rule. Our revenue, resources, and land grew exponentially. No one dared make a move against us, and any secret alliances made to destroy the coven vanished at an instant. The losers were treated with the utmost contempt, not from me, of course, but from our territories. They were shunned, detested, mocked, and if they should try pulling another stunt like that, more than likely the territories would rise up once again. Of course, there were people who were sympathetic to their cause, so because of that, I kept watch over them. I didn't dare repress them, knowing that would've been the perfect excuse to, once again, garner their enthusiasm. So I simply allowed them to live, pay the fees, and left them alone. Jaden and Alexis continued their visits towards the mysterious girl, and I busied myself with other matters.

A few years later, I decided to play a game. I told everyone, both noble and pawn alike, that they could come after me, and try to kill me. For anyone who succeeded, they would get the title of the Black Rose, as well as the right to rule the entire coven. For anyone who managed to succeed, they'd be treated as a hero, and rule in my stead, as King. But should they fail, they'd be stripped of their ranks and titles; I'd make it so that even death would seem like a kinder punishment, though that was a bit late now, considering what'd happened with Jean and the Violets.

The game was about more than just killing, however. Because of that war, I decided to implement a legal way to determine who was still loyal to me, and who I should brand as traitors. It allowed me to weed out all the weaklings, and build up ranks that were made up of intelligent, powerful soldiers, ones I didn't need to watch over. After all, whoever was stupid and reckless enough to sign up for a game such as this, wasn't deserving to be a member of the coven. I operated on that principle, and it was through that did I manage to begin destroying every single weakling that came up to challenge me.

It was fun.

Cruel, but fun all the same.

Alexis once came up to me and asked if she could help. Neither she nor Jaden approved of the idea, but since killing was involved, she hoped to join. I said no, but even then, I think she managed to interfere with the game a bit. Why else would she come back every night, with blood all over her clothes?

* * *

As I came back into the room, the cool air rushing toward me, I couldn't help but find myself still staring at her still body. It wasn't long before I walked over, the same, icy wariness in my eyes, and scrutinized her.

I watched the punctures wounds close, the scars quickly disappearing before me. I watched her bones snap back into place, the charred remains of her skin merging back into her flesh without any difficulty. I watched the burn marks clear, as the vessels replaced themselves, her tissues carefully stitching themselves back together as to avoid anymore complications. Bruises faded within the calm, and during that moment, I could see the brief flicker of her own eyes, quietly taking in the silence. It wasn't long before she sank back in her coma once again.

I stare at her for a while, before pulling the heavy blankets toward her body, and tucking her in. My fingers lingered on the covers, before I pried myself away. Funny, how similar they both were.

The Violets said something about Amrbosine. A woman, from what I could recall. A woman, who, after Jaden, would've been next in line to take over as Fallen's new leader. After Jaden and I defected, and Belletrix disappeared, most likely she'd be the one to lead the organization now.

Yes, that's right. She was Belletrix's private secretary, a killer who would've done anything, anything at all, if only to keep her safe. She was a cautious person who didn't like taking risks, and the only time she did was when it was absolutely necessary. The only person she's ever seen was Belletrix, and since sister dearest probably never mentioned _us_ to her, there's a possibility the woman might not even know we exist.

Still, the very fact that Fallen was still here, still very much a force in this society, was more than strange. Akiza should've destroyed the last branch; there was no way they could regroup, what with the devastation she caused. And even if they did, it'd be difficult to make any move at all, not without me knowing it. Perhaps it had something to do with the so-called "Mark of the Crimson Dragon"? Is that what Jean was talking about before?

I cursed then.

They were using Jaden's _damn test subject._

The memory loss, the fact that we was here, living out some stupid illusion, with all our hero pals. The world at peace, and every idiotic thing residing there,…

Bull _fucking shit._

And what about this one? This girl? She looked so much like Akiza, _too much._ And yet, all the same, I knew I killed her that day.

What was she anyways? An experiment? The newest addition to their lineup of demons? Was this another witch that was hellbent on destroying them? Was she something more, or was she just some look-a-like, one that was made to act like her? An odd, ironic coincidence, that would be.

I leaned over, and tucked her bangs behind her ear. My eyes softened at the familiarity of her features, as I straightened, my arms falling emptily to my side.

I came here, to Domino City, because my Queens heard that Akiza, _my Akiza,_ was alive. Jack Atlas meant nothing to me; how could he, when I myself, barely knew him? Crow Hogan, Kalin Kessler, and even Martha; I don't remember any of them in my life, now that the lies were finally dying away. I never resided in an orphanage, nor did I ever live in a place called the Satellite. It was never my home, and if I could, I'd wipe it off the face of the earth, knowing full well it was just a breeding ground for Fallen to work on.

There was no Crimson Dragon. The Dark Signers was all just some test Fallen had probably made up, if only to play around with the Black Rose a bit more. Goodwin was just a pawn in their game, someone who had nothing to do with the end of times, a failed reject who decided to take part, only because he believed it was real.

Meaning that, somehow, someone trapped us, all of us, here, in this illusion.

All the while, my game was still going on.

Just then, I heard a quiet moan behind me. I turned back, and saw Akiza there, snuggling beneath the covers. Once again, her bangs were messily splayed across her face, a light frown touching against her lips. I glare at her, before turning around, and walking away.

If Akiza wakes up now and sees me, it'd make things more complicated than they already are.


	26. Chapter 26

Jaden cast an uncertain glance toward his phone, as the confusion clouded his normally clear gaze. His fingers wrapped tightly around the fragile pen, the plethora of calculus problems easily escaping his attention. With one hand beneath his cheek, he flickers his empty orbs up to the front of the classroom, at the rambling teacher, who has since then started ranting about his "good-for-nothing" ex-wife, who, not surprisingly, managed to win a custody battle for their son/daughter/fetus.

He stole a glance at Alexis, who was sitting just two rows in front of him. As usual, she kept eyeing the slow hands of the clock up ahead, and the door, her fingers rapping impatiently along the lines of her desk. Even with her back turned to him, he could still see her fidgeting in her seat, desperately trying to remain calm until the final bell rang. When she leaned toward the side, he could see her doodles scribbled across her notebook, some skillful, most childish. The slightest trace of ink dotted her hands as she picked up her pen once again, and began bidding her time elsewhere.

He turned toward the window, the disinterest evident on his expression. Buildings and buildings piled up on his vision, with the bustling streets noisily resounding down below. The bright, grey skies glared down at those people, the humidity bringing forth familiar rains. Large, glass windows reflected back the once lively atmosphere; if he squinted he could make out just a few people from within the crowds, the meticulous details already slipping past him. Some were pulling out their big, black umbrellas, ready for the storms to arrive, while others simply hurried by, holding their briefcases on top of their heads as they did.

It'd been about a week since the fires at the hospital. Although it's been all over the news, and the hospital director did say something about a leak in the gas pipe, both Sector Security and the reporters were still investigating the explosions. Honestly, with a half-assed excuse like that, Jaden couldn't blame them; hundreds of people died that night, and if the director was going to blame it on something, at the very least he should've had the decency to lie about it. Say the incident was caused by the mall hijackers, or some madman who escaped from a faraway asylum, anything at all. Because if some accident was the only reason why this tragedy was taking place, there should be no reason why any of this should be happening. And besides which, if the director keeps going with that excuse, the city might even be liable to place the man on trial. There'd be no settlement; throw him in prison, execute him, do whatever it takes to make him regret that one, simplistic mistake.

Much to Jaden's surprise, Raines never showed up to cover the fire. He's heard her complain enough times about how she was never taken seriously, so this was strange, to say the least. Then again, she's been doing a lot of strange things lately. There was that time, when she interrogated Alexis, asking her about names they've supposedly forgotten, along with a background they couldn't recall. The fact that she hasn't called him once in the past few days was also a bit of an anomaly. Did she find something? Was she being fired from the station? Did she finally get the story she was aiming for? Was she being taken more seriously?

And then he would always grumble to himself. Who knows what was going on in that woman's head anyways?

But despite that, he still kept pondering on those questions, as did Alexis. The more they thought on it, the more distraught they became. Time and time again, he got the feeling that neither he nor Alexis were supposed to be here, that they had something more urgent they needed to take care of, before they could even begin to rest. An odd restlessness would always remain in the pit of their stomachs, and all the while, they would stare out to the outside, to the shadows lingering by, to the corrupted daylight lingering near the corners of their eyes. It was just a feeling, but all the same.

And yet, what was even more abnormal was the fact that neither Yusei nor Akiza cared to call them at all. Akiza did text him that she was going to the hospital, to visit Yusei, but after that, nothing. Yusei was never in the garage, and throughout the week, Akiza just kept skipping class. It was eerie, how silent those two were. It made him wonder what'd happened in that hospital, if they were apart o the fires. Was the tension too much for them? Were they just tired?

Though Jaden kept saying to himself that Yusei was busy preparing for the WRGP, even that excuse was beginning to wear thin. There was too much going on for him to just be focusing on that tournament anymore. And since Akiza was, in fact, one of the hostages, back at the mall crisis, this might be just another Signer fight. They might just be getting ready to take down a new set of bad guys, so they needed time to prepare.

But even that, however, didn't sit well with him. The whole Signer concept was just a bit too foreign to him. It was too predictable, too…too unrealistic. The only time a hero saves the world was if they wanted something, whether it be money, or fame, or power; though they always say they wanted to protect their loved ones, in the end Jaden knew that was almost never the case. The hero was still human, after all. So when it came to the Signers, it sounded like those old superhero comics Alexis used to to read, those fairytales the girl kept getting herself wrapped up in. The idea was frightening, rushed, and even the concept of the villains was a bit vague; innocent victims taken over by evil immortals, who wanted nothing more than to destroy the world that abandoned them.

If they'd won, those villains, wouldn't humans have won as well? Those immortals were constructed through the darkness of human hearts. And a shadow cannot exist without the fading light bearing down upon it; nothing can exist in complete darkness alone. So then, why defeat the Dark signers? The world abides by duality, contradictions, juxtapositions, and even irony; there's no strict moral guidelines to follow, no black or white, only shades of distinctive gray to follow within a lost world.

Yusei once showed Jaden and Alexis his mark. Of course, he might not even remember that, considering how long it was ago. In hindsight, the mark looked painful, like it was seared onto his flesh. Though Alexis kept bouncing all over it, trying to get a closer look, to Jaden, it seemed like nothing more than a simple pattern carved into the arm of some strange man. There was nothing special about it, at least, in Jaden's opinion. And it was the same with Akiza.

He bit the inside of his cheek. Tomorrow night, they were going to the cemetery, just he and Alexis. He needed to see who this Drevis person was, and what the Black Rose was all about. It's more than clear they weren't talking about Akiza; perhaps it's just some random duel gang that got in way over their heads. Or just some of Akiza's random fans playing a occult prank; she's gotten a lot of weird requests from those guys.

Then again, if that were the case, he wouldn't even be doing this.

"Yuuki!"

Slowly, Jaden turned back. Mr. Monroe was a big teacher, with a fat, protruding belly that kept bouncing up and down, so much so it made Alexis laugh every time she saw it. He had a long, gray beard, and small, beady eyes, eyes Jaden couldn't help but cringe from. A sullied, white shirt barely covered his torso, and the very fact that his blue blazer was lying on the ground in front of his desk was a bit melodramatic. Jaden stared at the man for a while, as he took in the angry sweat beads coursing down his forehead.

Jaden raised an amused eyebrow. "Yes?"

He crossed both arms in front of his chest. "I asked you a _question_."

Jaden blinked, before looking up at the board. "Oh."

" _Oh_?"

"So what?"

He slammed his fist against the chalkboard, causing everyone to jump in their seats. " _This,"_ he sneered. "Can you answer _this?"_

Jaden squinted his eyes. What _was_ that? Was that, like, some kind of heart or something? It looked like a triangle with a mad face on it. Monroe's sweaty palms, of course, didn't help.

"Hey kid."

Oh, a derivative sign.

" _Answer the damn question."_

It looks like they were doing something on slopes.

Monroe gritted his teeth. "You...you _Slifer_ _Slacker-"_

"23."

"What the _hell-_?"

"You got the denominator wrong," Jaden explained, before turning away, the scene pounding against his skull. "And there isn't a negative sign in front of the 5. Also, you don't use antiderivatives here; it's a tangent line."

The man was about to say something, before he looked back at the board. At an instant, his face turned beet red, and from the corner of his eyes, Jaden could see him nod slowly, as he realized the depths of his own humiliation. Still, he wouldn't let his shattered pride leave. " _Boy-"_

"You remind me of someone," Jaden murmured.

"What?"

"That's right," he said aimlessly, the nostalgia embedded on his face. "He wasn't nearly as stupid as you. Nor was he a damn jackass about it."

* * *

The lively atmosphere surrounded Akiza, with tiny shreds of light diffusing through the busy scenes. People passed by, the streets already packed with colorful banners signaling spring's official return. Laughter crossed through the air, the conversations lazily drifting through the comfortable cafe, with no room for the tense quiet. Tables were filled with children and adults alike spread across from her, as families tried deciding what they wanted to order, what kinds of foods it'd take to silence their bustling charges. She couldn't help but gaze at them for a while, their peaceful smiles casting away whatever worries had happened the day before. Akiza sighed then, before returning to her own, empty thoughts.

She sat at the table, with a small, white coffee cup in front of her. Her hand lay next to the cup, twitching worriedly as she kept looking around for anything at all, anything that seemed. But when she did, her searches failed, and once more, she'd only gaze ahead, staring ahead at the crowds nearby. Before long, her golden orbs flickered toward the clock. Huh, already two. Jaden and Alexis should be getting out by now, shouldn't they?

She closed her eyes. Sayer's words kept echoing from the back of her mind, along with Yusei's cool, melodic voice, the one that shielded her from the flames. She replayed both conversations throughout her brain for seconds, minutes, before shoving the two away.

She wasn't getting anywhere, at least, not like this. Even though the mall hijacking was old news, so many times reporters kept dropping by her house, trying to get an interview with her about how she handled the crises. There were phone calls too, about how she was supposedly one of the only few victims who were able to stand up to the hijackers. It'd gotten so bad she's had to go to this cafe for at least a week now, since she couldn't get any rest at home. And if that was happening there, she didn't even want to think about school.

But those predicaments were only minor burdens. The creature, who almost shot her, as well as the monsters back at the hospital, was all she could think about these days. How exactly Sayer fit into all of this, she'd no idea. And what about Yusei? Was he capable of doing things like that? She doubted it, considering the fact that he wasn't the type to pick a fight to begin with. Still, why Yusei was even there, at that hospital, was a complete mystery to her. She'd already accepted the fact that Sayer could be lying to her, but even so…

She clenched her teeth. It was scary, how calm she was when those monsters attacked. Though she was frightened, in the end, somehow she managed to carry on, as if there was nothing wrong, with anything. She fought them, without losing focus. She lived, without using her powers, or the power of the Crimson Dragon. She did it on her own, without anyone's help. At least, before she got caught up in the flames.

That was another thing; the explosion came from nowhere. Even if you lit up the entire fusebox, there was no way it could've caused a fire that big, at least, not without something to spread the flames. Maybe the director was right, that there was a gas leak, though she didn't smell anything. And how she even managed to _survive_ that…Akiza probably just got lucky. And the fact that Yusei was there, at the same time she was, to help her out…

"Akiza?"

She saw Yusei standing there, right in front of her.

He was holding his toolbox in one hand, with the other shoved in his pockets. His amiable expression met hers, and though she smiled back, she tensed. She fought the urge to look away, knowing full well how suspicious that'd seem. "Hey," she said awkwardly. "W-what're you-?"

"I should be asking you that," he replied easily. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"I ah…I didn't feel like going," she admitted sheepishly.

"You're going to get left behind."

"Yeah, I know. So, how is everything?" she asked, as he sat in front of her, placing the toolbox down on the ground. After a moment of silence, she chuckled lightly. "The air conditioner guy again?"

"You know it."

"Did he end up getting a new one?"

Yusei shook his head. "Nope. Got me to fix the old one."

"You think he's going to call you again tomorrow?"

"Probably. But never mind that; is everything okay?"

Akiza blinked. "What?"

"You were in the hospital, remember? What were you doing there anyways?"

Akiza gathered her words, as she gripped the cup's handle. "Crow and Jack said you were admitted…"

He settled back in his chair, the concerned light still in his eyes. He paused for a brief second, before nodding. "Oh, that."

"Mind telling me why?"

"A duel gang stopped by," he answered. "They wanted me to join their team. I said no, and we fought a little. When we were evacuated, one of the officers saw me, and told me to go to the hospital." He sighed frustratedly, as he cast a far off look towards the streets. "They wouldn't let me leave for some reason. Something about keeping me for observation…?"

She felt herself relax, her cautiousness fading away. But the hesitation still lingered, the scene at the garage not even beginning to describe some simple fight. No, those marks were more primitive, feral, the dried splatters of blood engrained in her mind.

Still, she shrugged, and turned around. She waved a waiter over. "So they wanted you to join their team for the WRGP, huh?"

"Right. That reminds me; where were you?"

"Where was I…?"

Yusei narrowed his eyes. "During the evacuation. It was just a drill, but you still had everyone worried."

The waiter came then. He stole an uneven look at Yusei, before turning to Akiza, who simply smiled. She asked for another refill, and watched as the worker whisked the cup away, who stole yet another gaze to the Satellite. She turned to Yusei, the smile vanishing from her face. "Sorry; my phone wasn't working. I was…actually looking for you guys."

"…Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," she lied. "I just didn't get the memo is all."

"Aki."

"Really Yusei; it's fine."

"You sure?"

She nodded reluctantly. From the corner of her eyes, she could see the waiter hurriedly coming back, his hands already filled with orders from already anxious customers. He surveyed the onlookers for a while, before his eyes finally settled on Akiza. Quickly, he ran over, and gently placed the cup in front of her carefully. Before she could say anything, he scurried back, and tended to the other customers. He never even bothered asking Yusei what he wanted; seems there's still a bit of prejudice left towards Satellite residents.

But she brushed the notion aside, and watched her hazy reflection within the cup. If she tilted it, at just the right angle, she could see Yusei's face, staring out at the bystanders happily walking by. She could see him scrutinizing the peace in their faces, the comfortable silence they've grown perfectly at ease with. And with that, she saw a tiny frown etched upon his face, as he examined them, like he always did.

"Yusei," she suddenly called.

He looked back. "What is it?"

"I was…in a car accident, right?"

"Yes."

She gripped the cup tightly. "Was it bad?"

"Well, it put you in the hospital, so…"

Her lips parted. She remembered Crow's enthusiastic praises, about how both she and Yusei handled the situation. She could recall every meticulous detail on the news, could recall the roses wrapped around the hijackers' throats. That creature, from the evacuation…had the same rose on him.

And though she said those exact words to Yusei, though she told him the same story, Akiza couldn't believe him. "It was a car accident that put me in the hospital," she repeated.

"Aki, seriously, what's going on?"

Why?

Why was he lying?

Yes, she realized it before, but Akiza figured that if she pressed him, he would tell her everything that'd happened. He would've, at the very least, told her not to worry about it, that he, along with the gang, will be there for her, that she wouldn't have to deal with it alone.

But he didn't.

She knew she couldn't ask him again. He'd probably just keep saying the same thing over and over again. Carefully, she lifted the cup to her lips, and drank the coffee, the warm liquid coating her tongue. It tasted different somehow, a bit sweeter. "Nothing," she murmured. "Guess I'm just studying too hard."

Yusei stared at her for the longest time. "Does it have something to do with what'd happened at the hospital?"

Her eyes widened. Automatically she looked up, only to see Yusei's concerned face. She placed the cup down, a solemn expression coating her face. "A lot of people died," she muttered.

"It wasn't your fault."

"But-"

"Aki, you're still alive. That's what counts, right?"

Cold.

He was cold.

"I was asleep, when it all started. By the time I woke up, those things were wandering around, and everyone was dead. We were lucky to get out of there alive, so you shouldn't be too hard on yourself."

He was at the hospital…for an entire week. And even before then, he was either working on the duel runners for the WRGP, or fixing machines, or even making sure Crow and Jack don't rip each other's throats out. There was no way he and Sayer could've met; Yusei was just too busy.

But she kept Sayer's words to heart. "Sorry." she said then.

He blinked. "What?"

"Actually…something did happen, during the day of the evacuation."

He narrowed his eyes. "What happened?"

Should she be telling him this? What would happen if she did? Would those things come again? Did this even involve her?

And yet, despite that she couldn't just forget about it, not after what she'd seen. "I was in my house, during the evacuation. I never got any of your messages. Not yours, or Jaden's, or Alexis's-"

"Aki-"

"Something came into my house, and held a gun to my head."

He froze.

She looked back down at her cup, her bangs falling to her golden eyes. She could remember Yusei's face, glaring down at her, his vicious snarl embedded into her brain. "He had that collar, on his neck," she explained slowly. "The same one the hijackers from the mall had on. He said something about finding the Black Rose, in the Loreli Graveyard."

It was then she told to him the creature she saw in her living room. She described to Yusei how she first saw Alexis, then Jaden, and finally, Yusei himself, standing in front of her, with a gun pointed directly at her. She told him about a Rook, about the Witching Hour, the memories flowing back to her with perfect ease. She told him about her confusion, about whether or not she was being delusional, or if she was just trapped in a very bad dream As she did, she could feel the panic slowly setting in, her calm demeanor slowly vanishing before her. She could recall every frightening color in that moment, the frustration building and building until finally, finally, she was shaking.

Shaking.

Trembling.

Cold beads of sweat carefully came down her forehead, as she struggled to look Yusei in the eye. She clutched her cup, trying to find the right words to say, trying to convey her cravenness, without sounding like a coward, however contradictory that might've been. She took another deep breath, and then another, then another, but she still couldn't calm herself down. She couldn't understand what was happening, couldn't comprehend the things happening around her.

Suddenly, that peaceful atmosphere disappeared. Her fingers grew colder and colder to the touch, as she looked around, the light-filled air vanishing from her completely. Her chest constricted, and all the air was forced out of her body. Her pulse pounded against her ears, as she endeavored recalling those moments again, with the same familiarity she had from before. She bit her lip, searing pain erupting from her limbs. She could smell smoke, the thick, clouds of carbon monoxide slowly suffocating her without regret, without mercy. She opened her mouth again, but no words came out.

What was happening?

What was she even _doing here?_

And then she saw Yusei's hand, on top of hers.

Warmth diffused easily from his palm, with a kind, comforting touch she hadn't known in a while. When she stared up at him once again, she only saw his worried frown, the same expression she would've expected so many months ago. Yes, she remembered that face; that one was what she wanted to see, whenever she was in danger, or hurt, or scared. She liked seeing it; it let her know someone cared, at the very least. Someone who would miss her, if she ever disappeared. Wiped off from the face of the earth.

And then she felt the rim of her cup on her lips.

When Yusei put the cup down, he only smiled. "Maybe one day wouldn't hurt," he whispered quietly. "You're at the top of your class, after all."

She was speechless.

"And you've been through a lot too."

She couldn't move.

"Here," he said, as he stood, with that same smile on his face. He walked over to her, her hand still in his, and helped her up. His eyes lingered to the empty cup sitting on the table, as he bent down and picked up his toolbox. "I've put you in enough danger as it is."

"Y-Yusei…"

"It's fine," he dismissed. "Oh, and thanks for telling me."

Tired.

"You don't have to worry about anything."

So very tired.

"Because I'll be with you, every step of the way."

* * *

Elegant seams of velvet soared through the graceful ballroom, the sophisticated, unpredictable patterns carefully shrouding the bright, golden lights above. Tiny, delicate cherubs reflected back the golden shade upon the floors, their angelic smiles carrying on without a single care in the world. Puffy white clouds complimented small, glass shards dangling from the ceiling, all of which were wrapped in bronze vines, with glittering jewels clinging from the metal. Gothic arches surrounded the ballroom entrances, the clear doors carrying with it the pale normalcy of the afternoon light.

Hidden away from that light, were the guests. Finely made dresses and tuxedos grazed the aristocratic atmosphere, along with brightly lit rings and necklaces, a testament to the wealth they all possessed. Most carried wine glasses in their hands, the bloody liquid slowly swirling in the cup so very meticulously. There was talking, and laughter, followed by wary glares towards one another, cautious smiles that hid horrid intentions later on. All had crimson roses chained to their throats, some elegant, others ignorant, and even still, others that bathed in arrogance and pitifulness.

"Everyone."

The elites all looked up from the conversations, a slight air of annoyance casually surrounding them. Business deals were put on hold, very important deals, that determined their stance, and their ranks. They were all aiming to impress someone, and this interruption was making a mess of everything. What could be so important, anyways, that'd possibly warrant their attentions, and at a time like this?

And yet, despite their frustration, their curiosities were what kept them calm. It wasn't every day the Black Rose called for a meeting; if he did, it meant something bad was happening, something within the coven.

It was then the nobles tensed. Did this have something to do with the stunt Jean pulled the other day? And what about the Violets? No one had seen them in the past week, and they were the most enthusiastic about the game. What about the hospital fires? Did they have something to do with that too? Was there another challenger? A traitor? And what of Fallen? What'd the witch want them to do about that?

Slowly, a young man came to the center. A young man, who had brown hair, and caramel eyes, and a familiar, red rose strapped to his throat. Though the nobles remained tense, a few breathed a relaxed sigh; Salem. It seems he's decided to imitate one of the Queens today.

He stopped at the center, his hands behind his back, as he regarded them evenly. "I'm sure you all know why you're here."

The confused silence served to answer his question.

Salem sighed, and took another step forward, the smile instantly disappearing from his face. "Clearly, there's been a misunderstanding," he stated. "None of you are in trouble; I just wanted to remind you of the game's rules is all."

One of the aristocrats stepped forward, eyes narrowed. "We already know."

Salem regarded the man evenly. "You've all overstepped your bounds."

"What? I've never heard of-"

"For starters," he said, brushing aside the man's dangerous glare, "it'd be best not to draw too much attention to ourselves. What with Fallen on the move, it's best not to attract them anymore than we already have."

Concerned murmurs erupted from the crowds. Well, the messenger did have a point. Lately, that damned organization has been growing, and there've been a lot more murders in recent years; even the minor covens were starting to grow restless. They were all waiting for the Black Rose to give his orders, but he still hasn't done so, and neither have his Queens. What was he waiting for? Fallen has already given them enough excuse to massacre the entire group, so why? What kind of sick joke was he pulling?

"Also," Salem continued, causing everyone to snap back to attention, "there's also been a few complaints. Need I remind you that getting bystanders caught up in this, goes against our coven's reputation? It's disgusting, unnecessarily cruel, and exceedingly disturbing. And, of course, that violation calls for automatic executions."

They all stopped. Yes, that's right; the nobles could do anything they wanted to, to try and kill the witch. The only request he made was that no one outside the coven get caught up in the affair. And that was exactly what those three idiots did.

Perhaps that's why they suffered as they did.

"Now that that's settled, I'd like to get another head count.

"As you know, we've had a lot of dropouts, ever since this game began. For some, it's because of some emergency they've had to take care of. For others, it's because they've decided to remain loyal to the Black Rose. And yet even still, there's the simple fact that by losing means you're stripped of both your title and dignity. But for the majority of you here, I can assume that the reason why is because you've thought carefully on these consequences, and still chose to pursue the crown. Am I correct?"

"That's right," one of them piped up.

He nodded. "Very well. Now that we've dwindled down the numbers, I'd like to implement a new practice."

They all shifted their weights uncomfortably. They've always hated this aspect about Salem; he kept adding unnecessary pressure, even to a game as simple as this. They couldn't tell why the man did it; perhaps because he thought it was fun, but more than likely, it was because he wanted to remove the weaklings from the game. He, after all, did report directly to the Queens, and it was through him they made their assessment. Though he was nothing more than a mere Knight, in the end he carried a lot of influence, more so than any of the nobles had.

Still, they waited for him, and through that Salem proceeded. "Starting now, I'm going to require that everyone come to me before they attempt to kill the witch."

Dissatisfied grumbles erupted from the audience. "I know, I know," Salem said. "You'd rather be clandestine about it. You don't want the witch or your competitors to know about your super-special-plans. However, since I do oversee this game, I'd like to remind you that whatever you say to me, will remain with me. I won't go to anyone else about them; as long as I know what you're be doing, you'll be fine."

"Why?" one noble shouted. "We didn't need to do this before!"

Salem's eye twitched. He gave the woman a frosty glare, causing her to shrink away. "Because of Fallen, that's why. If something should happen to you, at the very least we'd know where to start.

"Oh, and one more thing," he added, stealing a glance toward the fading light. "It seems there's a new addition to the coven, a young woman, from what the Violets have reported."

A few of the women stiffen. "Is she that important?" one of them asks.

"She is. At any rate, it'd be wise not to involve her in the game. At least, not until the witch says it's alright."

"Does he have plans?"

Salem shrugged. "Who knows?"

Just then, something vibrated.

Quickly, Salem stole the phone from his pocket and turned away. The elites all came towards each other, muttering discontentedly about the additional rules. What were they supposed to do now? It wasn't any fun if someone knew about their plans. And besides; since when was Salem so worried anyways? He shouldn't get so cocky, even if he was entrusted with the game.

When Salem looked up, the chatter ceased.

A wicked smile tugged at his lips, as he shoved the phone back into his pocket. "We've just gotten our orders from the King."

They all held their breaths. "What is it?" someone asked.

"Three pawns to Mizaki Hotel. He might need a Knight too."

"Just…just anyone?"

"Apparently. And as for Fallen," Salem continued, "we won't have to worry about them for much longer."


	27. Chapter 27

Crow stared down at the duel runners, a tiny, uneasy frown grazed across his lips. One elbow rested on the wooden chair, the other on a small desk nestled underneath the window, as he examined the new engines. That same, yellow jacket was thrust toward the back of the room, and though he stole a glance at the irritating thing, in the end he simply brushed it aside, and turned back to the runners.

The skeletal frames did little to assuage his concerns. Even with the sleek paint, for some reason, it seemed that they were all vulnerable, helpless. He shuddered at the thought of the rust coating the metal edges, along with the eroding sunlight degrading their hard work. He did once think about leaving Jack's runner outside, but then of course, the blonde would've done the same thing to him. He regarded the runners for a bit more, before sighing and turning away. Well, Jack's nowhere to be found, and until Yusei gets back, he's stuck doing…whatever this was.

He stared at the piles of papers seemingly baring down at him. Bills upon bills kept shoving themselves in his faces, followed by a barrage of unpleasant numbers he'd rather ignore. Still, he kept writing, the pen flourishing its elegant ink with sleek, black checkmarks. It looks like he was going to have to go back to the boss again. And seriously, what's with these debt collectors anyways? It'd only been a day since he took out that loan, and already they're calling for their money. And what fees? They told him there weren't any fees for the first few months!

He dropped his forehead down into his hand. Well, it could be worst. After all, he, Yusei, and Jack were doing alright by themselves, and it's not like they weren't in _that_ much debt. Besides, they were making time to train for the WRGP, and they weren't working themselves to the bone. Though the scrimmage at the mall took up some time, and a lot of people kept showing up at their door, wondering just how the Signers were connected to the whole incident, in the end Sector Security took care of everything. Akiza's out of the hospital, and they could all move on with their lives. And it wasn't a total waste either; at the very least, it let Crow know that the city turning over a new leaf. Of course, it's still a little awkward, considering how Trudge was now buddy-buddy with them.

Now, for those bills…

Just behind him, he heard a phone ring.

Crow narrowed his eyes, and looked up, the white demon taunting him mercilessly. Seriously, ever since he got back, that thing's been ringing nonstop. First it's some salesman, then its some nursing home asking about Martha, then it's another debt collector, and he's been getting a lot of complaints about Jack too. It'd gotten so annoying he had to wonder if he even _wanted_ to answer it.

Still, he forced himself to reach for the phone. He picked it up, and pressed it against his ear, not even bothering to read the caller ID at this point. "Hello?" he asked, the irritation seeping through his voice.

"Hello?" a woman said quietly. "Is this Crow Hogan?"

"Who's asking?"

"I'm calling on behalf of the Public Security Bureau. If I may, is Jack Atlas with you?"

Lazar? What could he possibly want from them? "No," he answered.

"Well, I won't waste anymore of your time, Mr. Hogan. If you could, can you and Mr. Atlas meet with me at Daedalus Bridge, tomorrow at midnight?"

He gripped the phone. Sounds like another sales pitch. "Oh yeah? What for?"

"This is about your friend, Mr. Yusei Fudo," she explained, causing Crow to fall silent. "I'm afraid he's gotten himself into a bit of trouble."

* * *

Ghoulish shadows danced around them, the howling winds overhead doing little to soothe their nerves. Soft, verdant leaves fluttered through the haunting breeze, giving way to more unsettling silhouettes rising from the ground. The cold, hard ground lay beneath, with insects and animals resting nearby quickly moving away from the nonexistent intruders. Ominous dread slowly diffused through the air, giving way to spiderwebs floating within the breeze, and withered leaves chasing after them, only to fail at even that simple task. The ghostly moonlight stared down at them, the gothic twilight shrouding their frames in gray.

Tombstones sat near them, some built painstakingly from marble, others carved intricately from whatever stone the workers could find. A sea of names stretched out from across the graveyard, with still flourishing flowers marking their stakes. Unborn blossoms crawled away from the corpses, all of which were six feet under, just waiting for someone to come. Iron gates surrounded the cemetery, showing off their vibrant threats and darkened humor, all the while warning anyone who came near to stay away, whether that be the groundskeeper, or even the mourners themselves.

Alexis stood behind the shrubs and plants, resting her forehead against the trunk of a poor, barren tree. Her eyes were closed, as her fingers gripped the roots tightly. Her long, blond hair cascaded down her shoulders, with a tiny, pink ribbon strapped behind her left ear. She wore a simple, long sleeved dress, the hem of her white skirt only barely reaching her knees. She didn't feel like wearing shoes tonight, and though the bitter rocks cut through the soles of her feet, it felt more natural to her this way. She didn't think of any other way to come here, to this awful place. Her phone was just lying a few inches away from her fingertips, the tiny thing shut off for the events this evening.

Beside her, was Jaden. Like Alexis, the same, anxious expression coated his face, though his eyes brimmed with frustration and worry. He wore a black, tattered sweater, with a tiny, skull choker wrapped around his throat. Dark blue jeans covered his legs, and just near them, a small, portable camera. He was barefoot as well, though Alexis knew he hadn't adjusted to the earth's rough sensations.

The two had barely said anything since they came to the graveyard. They managed to find a place to hide, and avoided the groundskeeper's watchful eyes, as well as strange mourners from wherever they came in. They've watched the sun go down, the evening lights slowly fading from midnight. Alexis didn't know how long they waited, but then again, she didn't care. She knew they were both ready, both willing to catch the Black Rose, as well as the Rook.

After all, this might be their one chance to show people what was really going on, that Aki had nothing to do with it. In fact, they were so serious, Alexis even put off her own, worthless jokes, just for this moment. Plus, if anything, this also served as an excuse to get out of her apartment.

Just looking at that place was starting to become more and more difficult for her. Every hour or so, she'd find herself standing in the midst of the quiet, asking herself the same questions over and over again. Did she always have that lamp? And what about those stuffed animals? Where did they come from? Where was her transcripts? And the envelops? The ones that had her living expenses, with the same statement that told her she needn't worry about tuition and fees from Duel Academy? These were the very questions that made Alexis replay the conversation Raines had with her, from that day. She kept repeating the words over and over again, trying to make sense of them, however unlikely it may have seemed.

But the nightmares were what made her confusion so unbearably real, so real she couldn't even begin to think about brushing it aside. So many times over she'd dream that horrifying illusion, the one where she and Jaden and Yusei were running. All running. Then they'd be eaten by monsters, ugly monsters that seemed familiar to her, but foreign all the same.

Lately, those monsters had started becoming prettier though; some had faces similar to the children in that one daycare she keeps passing on her way to school, and other times, faces that she knows she's seen before, perhaps on a passing whim from a being she once said hi to. She's seen the same nightmares over and over again, that it's gotten so commonplace now. She doesn't bother telling Jaden about them anymore, knowing full well that he already knows what's been going on.

Last night, however, truly frightened her. They were running, as usual, trying to get away from the monster that was about to devour them. It came for them happily, its claws outstretched, the saliva drenching its mouth. Yusei went ahead first, then Jaden, and finally, finally Alexis. And then she turned.

And she saw Akiza, baring down at her.

Psychotic.

Demented.

Feral.

"Alexis," she heard Jaden whisper.

Her eyes flickered towards his. She blinked, before crouching down, following his line of sight. She scooted a bit closer, trying to peer through the thick leaves and branches. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Jaden readying the camera, determination set in his gaze. It was then she turned to the man standing there, in the middle of the graveyard.

He had dark, chocolate skin, with bright, green eyes gazing out at the darkness. He wore a black trench coat on, with the same, black uniform she saw the mall hijackers wear. However, he was more composed, poised, radiating a mysterious, dangerous aura that caused Alexis to shirk back, though she forced herself not to. As she peered closer, she saw the same, red rose strapped to his throat.

He kept looking outwards, wandering aimlessly for a few steps, before pausing for another minute or so. Quickly, both she and Jaden shared a look, then returned to the stranger in front of them.

Alexis bit her lip. He's the Rook, wasn't he? Drevis? And he's got one of those roses. If they were lucky, the Black Rose will show up. And who knows? Maybe the Queens will appear too. They'd be able to see who exactly is behind all this. Both she and Jaden will publish the article, Sector Security would arrest the perpetrators, and everyone will be happy again. No more murders, right?

But why?

Why is she shaking?

The man smirked. "I know you're here. Come on out."

She, along with Jaden, froze. She could feel the tension building within her muscles, as she regarded the strange man evenly. Instinctively, her hand sought out Jaden's arm, trembling in anticipation.

Still, she couldn't close her eyes. She didn't want to miss this moment, no matter how tempting.

"You've got the invitation, haven't you?"

They remained silent.

"I know you're both here," the man continued, as he slowly began, walking, his hand hovering over a nearby tombstone. He closed his eyes, and savored the quiet. "You're breathing. You're breathing, and you're bleeding."

Alexis's eyes widened, before looking down. She saw dark blood, oozing from her pale flesh. Without warning, she brushed away the sharp pebble and covered the puncture, her icy fingers stinging her foot. Jaden returned her alarmed stare.

"Where is he?" the man drawled. "I requested the King appear."

The Black Rose.

"And to think, the Queens are hiding…"

Queens.

Alexis slid a low gaze to her foot. Slowly, she removed it, and pressed down a bit, allowing the blood to seep to the ground.

He invited the Queens too.

They found a letter in the basement of a morgue. The funeral director wanted Alexis to find it, probably because he knew she'd come back again. The letter was addressed to the Black Rose and his Queens. During the Worm Moon.

During the Witching Hour.

Jaden said the Witching Hour was bad. Really bad. So bad death rates always skyrocketed at that time. He said that was the hour when demons and other scary things roamed the world. Innocent people were considered suspicious if they were out late at that time.

Demons.

Suspicious.

Innocence.

She'd never heard a more fitting combination. She loved the remorse, the guilt, the frustrations pouring out from those words. She enjoyed the agony that accompanied them, the suspense in not knowing where the true monsters were hiding. Wandering within the midst of the pain, all the while screaming out for an unfamiliar name, as you walk along the edges, the boundaries of oblivion just staring up at you with those cold, soulless eyes.

She loved it.

She embraced it.

She _needed it._

Then she felt a stinging pain on her cheek.

Her head whipped sideways, though she never took her eyes off the man. His mouth was moving, but she never heard any of the words. She didn't think she had to.

At once, the shivering stopped, fear replaced by raw anticipation. She could feel adrenaline coursing through her veins, as she forced herself to stand there, taking in the beautiful chaos surrounding her. Wild winds enveloped her, the sensation of the hard rocks beating against her arms all the more enticing. She could feel every force trying to draw more and more blood from her, but even that became incredibly addicting. The nightmares replayed themselves over and over again in her mind, all the while endeavoring to make her see, make her understand the truths underlying all of them. She regarded them for a very long time, before casting them aside altogether. The hesitation vanished the moment she stared up at Drevis's eyes, and at once, she smiled.

She remembered him.

He fought them once. He was horrible. She humiliated him, and if it wasn't for Jaden, she would've…

She would've…

She swiftly dodged the next attack, not even bothering hiding the wide grin on her face. Her body recalled movements from so very long ago, as she began dredging up the feral violence her innocence craved for so long. Her limbs began moving on their own, and when she smiled, she started to dance, dance around the edges of scarlet that'd soon decorate her own body.

Where was she?

In the graveyards.

What was she doing?

Playing with a doll.

And she started laughing.

* * *

Sayer sat at the very edge of the bed, his eyes staring out at the empty scene in front of him. Red strands fell to his face, his trench coat pulled over his jeans. His ruffled, black shirt clung to his skin, and his gloves lay on the golden blankets just nearby. His hands were neatly folded in his lap, as he sat there, trying to make sense of nothing in particular. Though he tried shoving the memories away, he knew it was useless.

The very fact that the sweet puppet, an ally, that he had taken underneath his wing, stood there, drenched from head to toe, with tiny bits of organs and flesh on her, was still so very unnerving.

The large, rectangular window gave him full view of a city he'd seen many times over. White curtains draped the blinds, the processions of shadows scarcely paying any attention to him. Warm floorboards gazed up at him, with the same, scrutinizing stare he'd seen many times over. In front of him was a large, flat-screen TV that sat on top a huge dresser, with ornate handles, the edges swirling into complicated designs. Just near that were portraits of famous figures he never bothered memorizing, the artists' name flourished at the bottom on a golden plate. A large, steal desk was nestled toward the glass doors leading to the balcony, with a large, grey lamp standing just behind it. On that desk, were files, documents, most of which he was going to discard sooner or later. There were no financial statements on the desk, nothing at all that pertained to Arcadia's mysterious sponsor, or Yusei, for that matter.

He kept stealing small, timid glances toward the large, french doors to his right. By now, Amrbosine must've heard what'd happened. She hasn't asked him anything yet, but he figured she was already investigating the matter. After all, that was Sector Security who saved him from the rampaging reporters; they were the ones who escorted him back to the hotel, the ones who told him that they'd take care of everything, that he didn't need to worry about anything anymore, that he still had Amrbosine's support. In the meantime, he should just stay here, and wait; if anything happens, at least they'll be able to do something about it. Though they gave him a reassuring smile, Sayer didn't feel safe.

What was Yusei anyways? And was Amrbosine going to do with him? He doubted she was going to just let him do whatever the hell he wanted, and since Sayer had witnessed his power first hand, it was the first time he felt genuinely terrified. Still, as long as he stayed underneath Amrbosine's protection, he'd be able to get by, that is, if he didn't run into Yusei again. Legal matters aside, of course.

But then that left Akiza. He should've known the girl would've reacted that way, to what he'd just said. She didn't very well trust him, after all they've told her. And if she's acting like that, along with the fact that she's now the "Daddy's little girl", it must mean she's found a support system. He can't isolate her as he did before; whatever tricks he's used won't work this time. Even if he was telling the truth, she wouldn't listen; Yusei was a good friend of hers, and she wasn't about to let anyone debase him like that. Still, to think that Akiza, _his Akiza,_ was actually capable of something like that…

It was during that time Sayer realized how unstable his situation was. He was hiding behind a stranger he barely knew, a woman who nearly sent him to his death, just to prove that a monster like Yusei existed. Then there was the monster himself, who nearly _murdered_ Sayer, without batting a single eye. He had the entire city eating from the palm of his hands, and if what Amrbosine said was correct, he probably has both the resources and the funds to destroy Sayer, to demolish what little credibility he had left, to ruin him for the rest of his life. Either party could send Sayer back to jail, if they wanted to, perhaps even order a small, low profile execution. He knew he couldn't go public with this, knowing he would only be laughed at.

He closed his eyes then. Akiza wouldn't be able to do anything. Yusei's got her wrapped around his little finger, and since she won't believe him, about anything anymore, she won't work against Amrbosine either.

Did Yusei care about what she thought of him? Did he know she was in love with him? Did he even like her? As of this point, Sayer couldn't even answer those questions.

He heard the door open. That's right; Sayer left it unlocked. Huh, looks like he was going to have to see who it is this time. Amrbosine? One of her guards maybe? A henchman?

"Sayer."

He shut down then.

Sayer was afraid to look up. He knew how pathetic he looked, with his leg braces and casts on him. The crutches were thrown carelessly to the floor, so much so he was going to have to crawl just to get to them.

But he was desperate.

He clutched the edges of the bed, trying to stop himself from trembling. He could remember the pain that'd erupted from his limbs, the devastating sensation of the fires slowly engulfing him, decimating him with whatever poisons it carried.

"Yusei." he muttered quietly.

Icy blue eyes regarded Sayer for the longest time. He was wearing that same, dark undershirt, his blue jacket covering the red insignia upon it. Black jeans housed small, silver chains that were latched onto the pockets, with now dark combat boots to go with them. And rather than the red, crimson rose, which the hijackers wore, a black one nestled near his neck, the stringed choker wrapped around his throat so easily. Slowly, he stepped into the room, and examined it, his orbs examining everything around him. Finally, he turned to Sayer. "I'm shocked. I didn't think you'd call me by that name."

Where were the guards?

What were they doing?

It was hard…to say anything. The fear built inside his throat, as he eyed his duel disk, though that too, was out of reach.

He was defenseless.

"What?" Yusei urged, as he leaned against the wall. "You're not going to say anything?"

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out of it. And yet, just behind Yusei, was the familiar scent of iron. And when Sayer finally did look up, he could only see one face, its eyes wide with terror.

"So," Yusei began, his eyes lazily staring out at the city, "if I tore your leg off right now, you won't scream?"


	28. Chapter 28

She found herself sitting in the dining room, with the fading glow of a distant, evening light descending from the windows. Quiet, tinkering sounds came from a set of chimes from afar, and along with it, reflections from simple mirrors that depicted back her own, golden orbs. Ornate wood gazed up at her, and on top of it, papers which housed a sea of numbers and letters. Scratches upon scratches kept up with its gibberish, as the ball-point pen in her fingers bled out its ink. From the corner of her eyes, she could make out a black bag resting against the leg of her chair. Her phone was sitting near her hand, the tiny shadow coating a small area of the table. She stared down at it for a moment, before turning her attention back up to the clock, right in front of her; almost seven thirty.

Lavender walls bared down at her, with paintings of roses lined up neatly alongside each other, some sketches, others complete. Enticing brush strokes matched well with the brown, ostentatious frames, as their meticulous designs embraced the medium hidden within it. A glass chandelier dangled over her, as she warily took in the entirety of the dining room. This was her house. And she was here, in the dining room, doing her homework.

Akiza looked up again at the clock, counting down the seconds she sat there, the ticking echoing through her ears. She gripped the pen tightly, watching the large hand moving from number to number. It was a while before she drew her fingers to her eyes, and rubbed it wearily. She fought down a yawn, before staring back at physics, the problems ramming against her brain.

How long had she been sitting here anyways? She should've been finished this by now; normally, it would've taken her half an hour for physics. English, an hour, German, maybe two or three, depending on her mood. And what about those two? During this time, either Jaden or Alexis would be calling right now, either to complain about each other, or to joke around in the same, humorous way they always do. When did she get back anyways? And what about her teachers? What'd they lecture on today? She closed her eyes; her brain was still hazy, the fatigue clawing at her happily.

What a weird daydream. She was sitting in a cafe, an oddly recognizable, familiar, cute one. It was bright, and enthusiastic, and people were smiling and laughing around her. There were a lot of families there, a lot of adults and children, some of which were misbehaving, if only for the sole purpose of getting attention. She was thinking about something, but she didn't know what.

And yet, when she thought of it, her own confusion, a sense of dread filled her stomach, the anxiousness filling an ominous shadow, deep within the corners of her heart. For some reason, however, she was drawn to it, that feeling. She knew she had to feel it, though she couldn't possibly understand why. She remembered something, and then she saw Yusei there.

Yusei.

A tiny shadow flicker across the windows. Instantly, she turned back. She saw the brief shapes of birds casually slipping through the skies, their feathers clinging to their fragile bodies within the midst of the harsh winds. She sat there, frozen for a brief moment, and then relaxed. She bit the inside of her cheek, before standing up, and walking over to the doorway, the light switch in her view. It was getting dark anyways.

As she did, she could hear the reverberates of her own voice coming back to her, its supposed normalcy haunting her, bearing a nonexistent grudge she never knew had existed.

There was supposed to be a phone call, from Jaden or Alexis. And then there was the dream, where Yusei simply talked with her, in that same, gentle manner of his. She couldn't remember anything from today, nor could she remember the lectures. She didn't remember coming home. She didn't remember seeing any of her classmates either. Suspicion nagged at her, and when she reached for the switch, she stopped.

She was at school today. She saw the mall hijackers on a website her teacher posted in the classroom, as well as the hospital fire. She aced her test, and she was getting a call from some college admissions officers in England. Her parents will be coming home soon, so she was going to have to help the maids clean the mansion. Then there was…

There was…

She jolted when she heard her phone ring.

Quickly, she looked back, and saw the device blinking on and off, on and off. She rapidly came toward the phone, and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Akiza?" the boy asked, with concern entwined within his tone.

"Leo!" she said, pleasantly surprised at the sound of the boy's voice. "How's everything?"

"We're fine. Akiza, the teachers wanted to know when you were coming back!"

She blinked. "I was at school today."

"What? No you weren't. Actually, they came up to us so…"

"I was in class. Maybe the teacher just forgot to take attendance or something-"

"Luna and I looked _everywhere_ for you! You know, everyone's pretty worried about you-"

"I picked up my physics homework," she replied, as she stared down at her bag. She narrowed her eyes; no, the teacher did take attendance. She brought the attendance record over to the office after all. And after that, she helped with a lot of people's homework. They were having a hard time on derivatives, or integrals, or limits…And then there was the lecture. Her teacher kept throwing questions at Akiza, and she answered every single one correctly. She remembered how excited she was, knowing full well she was going to get a letter of recommendation from them. She was happy, so very happy…

But despite that, she couldn't remember…the questions. She couldn't recall the lecture. She couldn't remember the names on the attendance sheet. She couldn't even remember what she had for lunch, or any other trivial detail she would've noticed.

Her mind was blank.

And as Leo kept rambling on and on, about how half the school was talking about her, about whether or not there may be bullying involved, or if even disciplinary actions should be taken, Akiza pressed her forehead against the wall. She rummaged through her mind, tearing apart the shallow assumptions she'd had only started to follow. She was here, in her dining room. But she was somewhere else. School was an obvious choice, but it didn't seem right. The cafe however, the one from her dream…

She's been through this before, hasn't she?

"-And um, we know about the mall. So uh-"

"Leo," Akiza, steadily interrupted.

"And we were kinda hoping you would, you know-"

"Are you talking about the hostage crisis at the mall?"

Silence erupted from the other line. Akiza paused for a second, as she started recollecting her thoughts once more. Crow talked about this with her too. She was at the garage, she and Crow and Jack. There were claw marks all over the place. She asked Crow where Yusei was, and he said Yusei was in the hospital. After that, he started talking about the mall incident, and how well both she and Yusei handled themselves.

The mall and the hospital. One with civilized brutes, with bloody, red roses strapped to their throats, the other with savage innocents, with their rotting, emaciated bodies scavenging the scene. One had guns, the other, simple fangs. There were drugs there too, in both incidents; adrenaline, endorphin, anesthesia, pain killers, crutches.

She talked with Sayer that night. He was warning her about Yusei. A few minutes later, she had a needle in her hand. After that, a simple power box. Then there was an explosion, with flames everywhere. She'd been ripped to shreds, and bleeding to death. And then a cool shadow came, and saved her.

A nightmare; somehow, that's what her mind reasoned it out as.

"Leo," she called again.

"Y-yeah?"

"I wasn't at school today."

She could practically see Leo nod. "Well yeah! Everyone wanted to know where you were!"

"And I…was in the mall, when those people took over."

"Uh, yeah? Hey, Akiza, you okay? I mean, if you're sick or anything-"

"It's fine," she dismissed, as she turned back towards the light-switch, the darkness growing more and more prominent with each passing second. "Was Yusei there too?"

"We all were! Seriously though, I can call back-"

"I need to ask you something," she continued. "Was there a fire, at a hospital somewhere?"

"Y-yeah!" Leo said rapidly. "The General Hospital. No one's saying anything though, and Trudge is still looking into it."

Yusei was there with her, at the mall, and in that nightmare, she heard his voice, through the heat of the flames. The daydream showed him too, depicting him in the same way he's always presented himself. She remembered the charismatic way he talked, the light way he brushed off certain topics, the story he told, about the supposed duel gang that came in and ambushed him…

She couldn't help but recall the conversation they both had, back when she first woke up at the hospital. He seemed a bit panicked, when Akiza saw him; flustered, confused, when she relayed to him her story of the car accident. Her memories fit perfectly with the reality that surrounded her, whether it be real or not. Though everything in her brain, from the car accident, to being at school, seemed so real, in the end, everyone kept telling her a different version, alternations that refused to link up with hers, no matter how truthful she thought her own illusion was.

And Yusei played along with it.

"Um, Akiza?" she heard Leo ask.

"Thanks," she found herself say, as she reached for the lights. "Do me a favor, okay?"

"S-sure!"

The very next second, the lights came on, causing the obscurity to fade. "Don't tell anyone about this, okay?"

"A-Aki-?"

She only smiled. "I don't want anyone else to worry."

"W-what about-?"

"No," she said, as she gazed up at the golden lights from above. "Especially not Yusei."

* * *

Red.

Black.

With a hint of moonlight dyed into it.

Jaden watched the splatters of shapes flying everywhere, the shadows swirling around him with sinful temptations. He stood there, mesmerized by the chaos surrounding him, the silent shrieks radiating with agony, as the tense air dissipated. The harsh wind blew past him, yet in the end, he still remained, observing the beautiful monster standing right in front of him, now lunging after the Rook.

He scanned the area, as remnants of the attack came spilling after them. Tiny splatters of blood caused him to back away, the pain stinging his cheek. He fled into the shadows, all the while keeping a close eye on Alexis, who refused to back down.

He gritted his teeth. Though he tried calling out to her, his lips refused to move. There was nary a word found in his throat; when he felt like screaming at her to run, when he tried moving if only to protect her, he couldn't. He was frozen in place, the shock of it all still coursing through his system.

But there Alexis remained, with a sick, twisted smile upon her face. A dark gleam emanated within her now blank eyes, the once peaceful innocence fading from her violently gleeful expression. Her white dress was stained in crimson, the dirt scarcely touching the bottom of the hem. The pink ribbon in her hair was still in place, fluttering blissfully within the blood-soaked breeze.

He's seen this before.

"So," the Rook growled, as he endeavored to retain his haughty disposition. "The Queens really were hiding, huh? How pathetic."

Queens.

Jaden stole a look towards Alexis, then fixed his attention onto Drevis.

He was staring down at them, that man with a prideful light in his eyes. A small smirk coated his lips, and when he turned to them, he acted as if he were better than the rest of the world, that he alone deserved to bask in a golden light neither he nor Alexis could think of. Though he was here, the desperation so very present in his voice and behavior, in the end he attempted assuming his vain arrogance, even in the midst of two creatures, both of which he didn't know anything about.

And it was within that single memory, did Jaden creep out from the shadows.

He watched as the Rook began struggling against Alexis. Drevis had pulled out a gun, and started firing at the blonde, the power he held vanishing from his very fingertips. She danced her way around the bullets, escaping with only a small scrap on her cheek, something Jaden darkly noted. She kept leaping back and forth, her playful little waltz easily claiming the upper-hand within the fight. When Drevis looked down, he thrust the gun away, and lunged straight for her, a knife in his right hand.

Jaden narrowed his eyes. Quickly, Alexis jumped to the side, and went behind the man. She grabbed his wrist, and broke it, the knife falling away from him. He hissed painfully, before kicking the knife away, while trying to squirm out of Alexis's iron grip. Yet even then, she threw herself back, the same, powerful force keeping her from freely displaying her insanity. But before long, she charged into the fray once again, the wide, frightening grin upon her face. She went to the left, causing his eyes to follow her movements, before swiping to the right. She grabbed the forgotten knife on the ground, and came after him.

He was new, the Rook.

He was new...

A standout, a special one, out of everyone Jaden had seen.

A face, who had tried to, time and time again, get close to either he or Alexis, the saccharine words pouring from his thick, grotesque throat. A person that no one wanted to be around, as everyone knew the man was only trying to attain favors, nothing more. A shadow Jaden would rather forget, but through Drevis's persistence, his aggressiveness, the menace decorating his mood, Jaden decided to keep him around, only for entertainment. He wasn't good at fighting, but he was the perfect laboratory assistant. A scientist, with a background in parasitology and virology, a specialized surgeon that knew where to treat, what to treat, an inventor who had only ever used his mind to sabotage Jaden's own projects.

In other words, Drevis was a fool.

Alexis swiped his cheek with the tip of the blade, the bone exposed to the brutal wind. Then, that powerful force resounded from his body, causing her to stumble back. Still, Alexis managed to regain her balance. She examined the knife for the longest time, before licking the edge, whether for pleasure, or appearance, perhaps more for pleasure. Yet another force, another stumble, but she still wove her way through the nonexistent obstacles. He pulled a large, butcher knife from his pockets, and automatically, the two knives clashed.

Alexis never liked him. He was always too calm for her tastes, and whenever he approached her, he always had a predatory look on his face, the same look Jaden recognized in any other depraved, immoral scientist he'd come across.

Dissection, experiments, results, conclusions, anything that made his little project seem more disturbing, more satisfying, in Drevis's eyes. There was no room for feelings, none at all for sympathy. There was no regret, though he knew what would've happen had he touched Alexis. He even had the audacity to come up to Jaden once, and ask if he could run a couple of tests on her, just to make sure she was who she says she was.

Completely, perfectly…human.

Drevis came from the left, and Alexis dodged. She swept beneath his arm, and jammed the knife into his muscles. As he stood, paralyzed by the pain, she gripped the handle, and tore his arm in half, the solid density of bone now gone from him. He shoved his presence against her; Alexis closed her eyes, and took a couple of steps back, the bruises becoming more obvious.

Her sympathetic nervous system was producing more and more hormones, more so than the average person.

Drevis tried slashing Alexis from the right, only to end up failing. He lunges again, only for Alexis to dance back, and destroy his other arm. Jaden heard a howling scream.

Parasympathetic was completely suppressed.

She digs the knife into his stomach, and forces him to the ground. She was giggling sweetly at all the funny expressions he was making with his face. She kept digging the knife into his stomach, all just for the sensation of her own kill, the adrenaline speeding through her body.

Integration sensors on alert.

She started laughing. Laughter, entwined with screams, as she scrambled his insides. She tore away his arms and limbs, as she watched the organs twitching desperately, trying to survive without the consent of their host.

This was like a drug to her.

She raised that knife, ready to take in the high.

Jaden closed his eyes. Only he would know her horrifying enthusiasms.

How could he possibly forget them?

As Drevis's screams came to a halt, the last of his breaths leaving his body, his limbs ceasing their twitching, Jaden slowly came to Alexis. Logically, rationally, without the slightest bit of hesitation, he approached his lover, and laid his palm against the crown of her forehead. She jolted, before looking up, the smile still on her face.

"Hi!" she chirped.

He stared at her for a while, before looking to the side, and took in the former Rook, who was now reduced to nothing more than dismembered organs.

She's gouged out the eyes, the pressure from her fingers crushing them all in one go. There was a big, gaping hole in his stomach, and wrapped around Alexis's hands was the large intestine. If he squinted, he could see the gallbladder and pancreas in view, the blood rapidly drying before them. It looks like she was going to remove his gums soon.

He wasn't surprised, not in the least; she enjoyed doing things like this. There were antipsychotics for this, weren't there? No, the last time he tried that, she got even worse.

He crouched down, and cradled her shoulders in his hands. "What're you doing?" he finally asked.

"Ah!" She slid a careful gaze to the knife in her hand. Then she looked down, as if seeing Drevis for the very first time. She leaned against Jaden, and pressed the back of her head along his chest. "He was rude," she said stubbornly. "I didn't like him."

He chuckled. "I didn't either."

"He was always so needy," she sighed, her white dress darkening within the moments. She lifted the knife up to her face. "Why'd Yusei keep him around anyways?"

Ah, that's right; that's what this was all about. Drevis wanted to kill Yusei.

Serves him right.

Jaden wiped away the dirt embedded within Alexis's hair. "Considering what we've just seen, I doubt he knows Drevis exists."

"But we do."

"That's right," he answered, as they both stood. The police won't find anything; neither he nor Alexis were in the government databases. And it wasn't that much a commotion either; not many people were roaming the cemetery to begin with. To everyone in the city, this would be some tragic accident some serial killer caused.

He stared at Alexis, before using his sleeve and wiping out droplets of blood on her cheek. His gaze lingered at the scratch on her cheek. It was then he turned back to Drevis; still alive.

It looked like he was saying something, though Jaden didn't know, or care, for the matter. He took the knife from Alexis's hands, sat down, and beheaded the man.

Where was Yusei anyways?

* * *

"So, if I tore your leg off right now, you won't scream?"

Dead.

"Sayer?"

They're all dead.

Yusei laughed lightly. "What? Did Amrbosine castrate you or something?"

And he will be too…

"I guess so," he murmured, as he walked over toward the windows. He shoved both hands in his pockets, before shifting his gaze out toward the windows once more, the same smirk on his face. The madness Sayer saw before had disappeared at an instant, and in its place, an eerie calm that matched the arrogance in Yusei's expressions.

He bit the inside of his cheek, and looked up. Though he tried making sense of the insanity, in the end, Sayer knew he wouldn't understand. "What'd you want?" he finally asked, unwaveringly.

"To make sure we're on the same page."

Sayer stared down at the floors, before trailing back to the bodies behind him. He couldn't see them clearly from here, but then again, he didn't want to. He didn't want to know what lay around the corner, nor did he want to see the corpses agonizing expressions. Slowly, he looked at Yusei, who was watching the city lights from out the window. "What're you-?"

"I guess I should be thanking you," Yusei interrupted, a smile, formal smile plastered on his face. "Despite everything that's happened, you never told her."

Sayer clutched his knees. "Akiza?"

"Who else?"

Frustration gradually replaced fear, as he slowly straightened. The monster's probably slaughtered everyone in the hotel. His eyes flickered toward the phone, before Yusei scoffed. "That'd be the last thing you ever do."

Sayer froze.

"And besides," Yusei, or rather, Nikolai, continued. He turned back to Sayer and leaned against the glass, "it's not like Amrbosine would listen to anything you have to say. You're done with your assignment."

He…knew about that?

"Just what were you thinking anyways, accepting help from someone in society? But since you've been following her, I'm guessing you've completely forgotten your precious Movement. So, how does it feel? Being apart of a world you hated for so long?"

"What'd you _want from me?"_

Nikolai stopped for a tiny moment, before laughing. "Well that's interesting. What happened to the guy who nearly killed me?"

"…I-I-"

Sayer quieted his stammering, silently cursing himself for being so afraid. The shaking won't stopped, and despite everything he's doing to calm himself down, that still wasn't enough. Nikolai then brushed the conversation aside. "I really don't know what Amrbosine sees in you. If you're that stupid enough to leave a trail behind-"

"Nikolai," Sayer stated again, regaining his senses amidst the horror. "What'd you mean…when you…when you said-?"

He felt an unprecedented pressure wrapped around his throat. Before long, he began struggling, clawing his neck, desperately trying to take in air. Everything was getting blurry; his lungs were going to explode.

"I'd rather you _didn't_ call me by that name," Nikolai whispered menacingly, as he slowly released Sayer from his grip. "As far as you're concerned, Nikolai doesn't exist."

Sayer sat slumped over the edge of the bed, gasping for breath. He tightly gripped his throat, trying to overcome the shock from before. And while he did, the monster continued, shrugging off the tension. "Akiza likes you, for one reason or another," he explained. He flickered his eyes down at the man, a mischievous grin on his face. "And because of that, I'm willing to let you go."

"…I-"

"Of course, that'd be the case, if not for the mess out in the hallway."

Sayer narrowed his eyes, still clutching his throat. "That was…that was _your_ doing-"

Yusei smirked. "Smart boy."

"Why?" he suddenly demanded.

"Why…?"

"It was you, wasn't it?" he hissed. " _You_ were the one who funded the Arcadia Movement."

Yusei's eyes widened a bit, but before long, he shrugged. "You're in no position to demand anything from me. The only reason why I'm not dangling your body on a string is because it'd hurt Aki."

Aki.

So, he really does care about her…

"I'll be brief; since she saw you, back at the hospital, I think it'd be a good idea if you kept a close eye on her."

It was then Sayer looked up. The same, stoic expression remained on Yusei's face, the silence coming between the two. Before the confusion to replay in his mind, Yusei scoffed. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

Sayer bit his lip. "And if I say no?"

"As soon as you stop shaking, I'll take you seriously." And so, Yusei folded both his arms in front of his chest, and waited. Ten seconds, then thirty seconds, then finally, a minute had passed, before Sayer calmed himself down once again.

What's his game? What'd he want Sayer to do anyways? Yusei had to have known that if he came here, there's a good chance that Amrbosine would more than likely know about it. Besides which, he's already brought enough attention to himself as is, so why not just lay low, until this entire thing blows over? Then of course, since he had connections to the political underworld, that might nearly be impossible.

Yusei cocked his head. "Sayer," he called.

"Why me?"

"Like I said; to keep an eye on Akiza."

Sayer tightened his grip on the covers. "What does Akiza have to do with any of this?"

"Nothing; I want you to make sure she stays out of the way. I'm sure Amrbosine's told you all about me by now."

"What're you going to do?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he said lazily.

"But that still doesn't-"

"Once Amrbosine's out of the way, things are going to get boring again," he replied. "Besides, I want to see how you handle yourself on your own, without that stupid Movement behind you. I want to see how well you do, without anyone standing beside you; makes for an interesting research project, don't you think?"

Sayer clenched his fists. So that's why he's doing this, because he was _bored?_ It seemed like a half-assed excuse, and he would've called Yusei out for it.

But then of course, even that name was just a character, a stranger who managed to worm his way into everyone's lives. He was authentic enough to even have Sayer, of all people, fooled. "Is that all?" Sayer muttered defeatedly.

"No," Yusei said, as he straightened himself. "I need to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"When did Akiza join the Movement?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Don't you know the answer to that one?"

Yusei shrugged. "I'm forgetful."


	29. Chapter 29

Crow stole an uncertain look towards Yusei, who was leering over the duel runners. He watched the raven haired man work on the engine, his eyes scanning over the design schematics on the computer, making sure that every piece fit, while fiddling with the tools in hand. There was a playful smile tugging at his lips, as he wiped his hands on his jeans. When he straightened, he sighed, before reaching over for his toolbox. He put down a wrench, and grabbed the power drill, the very thought of the WRGP probably the furthest thing from his mind.

 _I'm afraid he's gotten himself into a bit of trouble._

Crow rubbed the back of his head. Ever since last night, he couldn't get those words out of his head. From his point of view, it looked like Yusei was doing just fine. Better than ever, in fact, and though that might just be because the air conditioner guy hadn't called in the last couple of hours. And besides, if Yusei really was in trouble, he'd come to Jack and Crow first. They were best friends, and Yusei knew he could rely on them, right? They grew up together, saved the world together, even ended up living together…

But the phone call did warrant some concern, at least. No, Crow wasn't going to ask about it directly; he wasn't stupid enough for that. "Hey," he called.

"Hey," Yusei mumbled back.

"Power surge blow up again?"

"Yeah. I think I've found the problem though…" His voice trailed off, the concentration taking full precedence of his attention. Crow bit the bottom of his lip, as he surveyed the garage.

When Yusei got back from the hospital, it was as if everything fell to place. The strange claw marks had instantly escaped his mind, and though rumors about a hospital fire reached both he and Jack, Yusei never really bothered with it, so they didn't either. Crow sometimes did ask what'd happened, and Yusei always gave the same answer, that a rival duel gang came and tore up the place. If he pressed for more, Yusei would simply walk off, and work on the engine.

But that wasn't normal. Not even Yusei would be that calm, especially if a fight had broke out. Anyone would be, at the very least, shaken up the entire experience. And things were serious enough, so much so it landed him in the hospital too. Didn't Trudge even talk with him about that gang?

Crow narrowed his eyes. He's already talked it over with Jack, and they both agreed to meet with that person tonight. She sounded persistent, her voice familiar. Though Crow tried recalling that voice, he just couldn't, for one reason or another. Maybe this was just a really bad prank someone was pulling, but with everything that's happened, they couldn't ignore it.

Just then, he noticed something. He turned back to Yusei. "Hey, you remember the box, the one with all those pills?"

Yusei stopped for a brief second. He started working again, his eyes drifting aimlessly all over the engine. "I do."

"You know where it is?"

"A guy came to pick it up."

"Huh; how'd he know where it was?"

"Tracking system," Yusei muttered.

Crow nodded, before coming to the couch and plopping down. What else could he say, at a time like this? "So, Akiza stopped by the other day."

"Did she?"

"Yeah. She wanted to know where you were."

"What'd you say?" he asked nonchalantly.

"I told her you were at the hospital."

"I see."

"…So what happened? You know, with the hospital and everything?"

Yusei turned to Crow, with the same smile he'd seen before. "There was a gas leak. The doctors discharged me before the explosion happened. I found Akiza wandering around the hospital, and we got out."

"Are you guys alright?"

"Yeah, but we were lucky," he replied, the slightest trace of remorse touching his voice. Crow dwelled on the sound for a while, the remorse reaching him as well. "I can't imagine how everyone else must be feeling right now."

"You know, you can always come to me and Jack for help."

Yusei looked up. "What?"

"Like, I don't know, if you need any help with the engines. Stuff like that."

"I know."

"Yusei?"

"Hmm?"

"The marks the other day…on the garage-"

Yusei turned back, a bit annoyed by Crow's persistence. "I already told you-"

"Yeah but…are you sure? I mean, with scratches like that…"

"I said it's fine," he dismissed. "It wasn't our fault, and Zora said she'd pay for the damage."

Crow blinked. "Still…"

"What's done is done Crow," Yusei stated, as he leaned over the duel runners. "It's not going to affect us one way or the other."

"But the guys who attacked you-!"

"-aren't our concern." he interrupted, causing Crow to fall silent. The quiet entwined within the already tense atmosphere. Though Yusei remained as he usually was, the aggression quickly fading from him, Crow could only sit there, his eyes boring his friend's back. He was about to say something else, when he heard a loud bang from the garage.

Immediately, his gaze followed the sound. Slowly, he got up, went to the garage door, and slid it open.

Those two again.

They were both wearing their duel academy uniforms, as they had the first time Crow saw them. The boy, Jaden, managed a polite, apologetic nod, before looking sideways, making out Yusei's frame from within the darkness. The girl, Alexis, waved a simple hello, with that same, bubbly smile on her face. Well, they certainly seems a lot calmer than they had before. He opened his mouth, if only to ask them if they needed anything, when he saw the blank, empty stare, on Alexis's face.

He froze.

"Yus!" Jaden called.

Crow heard Yusei's familiar footsteps coming from behind. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Yusei smiling, before he turned to Crow. "I'll be back in a bit."

"W-wait-"

"Don't worry," Yusei reassured, as he started walking away. "If anyone calls, tell them I'll be back in a little, alright?"

Before Crow could say anything more, Yusei left, leaving only empty space in front of him.

* * *

Akiza leaned against the light-pole, her eyes closed as she basked in the warm, afternoon light. Just behind her was a white building, the large, rectangular windows revealing all kinds of bookshelves and books inside. Comfortable tables were settled next to the glass, and surrounding them, people. Whether they be scholars, or thinkers, or students who hadn't known any better, if she remained quiet, she could listen to their conversations, in spite of the ruckus outside. Soft, verdant leaves fell from their branches, the nearby fountain drawing the light near with its glistening surface. Benches sat on either side of the wide streets, the black, unlit lamps lingering nearby.

She'd just got a phone call yesterday, from a reporter named Angela. She asked Akiza if she could talk with her in front of the Gallant Bookstore, not about the recent events, of course, but to just talk. Though Akiza said no several times over, in the end, it was the woman's determination that managed to ensnare her. Besides which, Alexis told her this was the woman Jaden was working with, so Akiza might as well have been kind to her; she figured it would've given Jaden a good career boost. It also gave Akiza a chance to address the recent rumors the reporter spread around, but at this point, she didn't even know if she cared anymore.

"Ms. Izinski?"

She opened her eyes, and turned to the side. She found a young woman standing before her, a little older than she was. Blond hair cascaded down her back, her own bangs casually falling to her bright green eyes. She had a red jacket on, with a white undershirt beneath, and a dark, navy blue skirt to go with it. She wore a brown belt to tie the appearance together, and when Akiza looked down, she saw a notepad and pen in her hands.

Akiza straightened, and regarded the reporter evenly; she's heard Jaden complain enough times to get a good idea of what she wanted. "Yes?" she asked.

"I'm Angela," the woman said, as she held out her hand. "I talked with you over the phone."

Akiza nodded. "Right."

An awkward pause came between the two, and Akiza hastily turned away. She could feel the reporter's eyes scrutinize her, before she finally smirked. "Why don't we go inside?"

Silently, Akiza agreed. She led the reporter across the street, and towards the bookstore. She opened the glass door, and came inside, the scene greeting her amiably.

The warm floorboards glowed at the outside light. The faint smell of coffee drifted through the air, along with the sounds of the soft whirls from the coffee machines, just a few feet away. Rows of bookshelves came into her vision as she walked down the small staircase, her red pumps descending to the velvet carpets lying near. The countertop held a messy pile of books that needed to be shelved, along with an abundance of receipts with ink sprawled all over them. Just behind that was the cashier, who was panicking at the sight of the disorganized piles. It wasn't long before she saw Angela walk in front of her, with that same, professional smile on her face. "Why don't we talk over there?" she asked, pointing to one lone table, off in the corner. Akiza obliged.

When the two sat across from each other, Akiza looked up warily. Angela was just sitting there, fiddling with her notepad. No, there were definitely some things written on there, though she couldn't tell what. She took a deep breath, and regarded the reporter evenly. "About what you wrote-"

"My assistants."

Akiza blinked. "What?"

"My assistants were the ones who wrote all those awful things about you," Angela answered aimlessly, as she shot the witch an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, by the way. I know it may not mean much, but I can assure you that they are being dealt with right now."

All that pent up frustration Akiza felt instantly dissipated. "I…I guess…"

"But I was in charge of them," Angela continued, "so in actuality, it's my fault."

"T-thanks," Akiza managed, "for saying it, at least."

"Don't thank me. Anyways, would you like anything? Coffee? Some tea, maybe?"

Akiza shook her head. "It's fine. Well, getting back to the subject…"

"Right," she replied, as she flipped open her notebook. "Honestly, I still can't believe you agreed to do this interview with me. If you didn't already know, you and the other Fortune Cup duelists were a little hard to get a hold of."

"I didn't think people actually…paid any attention to that anymore…"

Angela nodded. "Crazy, huh?"

"Y-yeah," she said awkwardly. "Crazy…So, what'd you, you know, want to…?"

Angela placed the pen on her notepad, the ink slowly dying the page a deep, dark black. "We won't talk about anything you don't want to, alright?"

She blinked. "Okay…?"

"I know this might be sudden, but I was wondering if you could tell me if Jaden is doing alright."

Jaden? Slowly, Akiza nodded. "Yeah, he's fine."

"And his friend? Alexis?"

"She's…great. Why? Did they do something?"

Angela shook her head. "No, just curious is all. If you can't already tell, we don't get along very well. They mentioned you were their friend, so I figured I'd get to know you a bit."

Akiza narrowed her eyes. Though she was visibly relieved that the reporter wouldn't pry information from her, she was already more than wary. Didn't she try asking them what she wanted to know? And from the way Jaden described her, Akiza didn't necessarily peg the woman as the protective type. "Why?" was what finally came out of her mouth.

Angela shrugged. "Just worried is all."

"You could always ask them."

"I already did, but I figured a third party needed to get involved."

"What for?"

Angela regarded Akiza for the longest time. Before long, she set her notepad and pen down, and placed both hands on the table. "You've got parents, don't you?"

Surprised, Akiza nodded.

"Any siblings?"

"None."

Her green orbs darkened at the prospect, though she still smiled. "I've no parents," she slowly explained, "but I do have siblings. Two younger brothers, and an older sister."

"I don't see why-"

"My sister was killed," Angela continued, causing Akiza to fall silent. "And my brothers went missing, a long time ago."

An eerie quiet draped over the two. Akiza's body stiffened, as she gazed at Angela, who turned sideways, a subtle turbulence brewing on her face. Akiza couldn't move, couldn't say anything; she could only scrutinize the reporter with whatever sympathy she could muster, before looking to the side, the shame easily embedded in her frame. So she was just like Misty, when her little brother disappeared. "I…I'm sorry."

Angela closed her eyes, and at an instant, a sad grin draped across her face. "It's fine. I know I'm not really supposed to get attached, but I couldn't help it. I'm just wondering if you've noticed anything strange."

Akiza shook her head. "Nothing."

"They also mentioned…Yusei Fudo too."

She looked up then. Yeah; Yusei did say something along those lines. "He's a nice person. They just met him."

"I see. Have they ever been hospitalized?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Do you know when they transferred in?"

"Around…nine months ago. Sometime last year."

Angela nodded thoughtfully. "And how are they doing in school? Is everything going well?"

Akiza laughed sheepishly. "I guess. Jaden's doing well, but Alexis is ah…a bit…"

It was then the reporter laughed. "You don't have to tell me twice. But they're both hard workers, so they'll get by."

Akiza smiled. She was probably going to have to talk with them later, but other than that, it seems that's all this was, just a tiny, casual conversation. She was surprised, honestly, that Angela would watch over them like this. Most of the time, she was always on television, shouting about the latest scandals, or stunts, or whatever else she could pull from her mind. Akiza never even paid much attention to her either, but at the very least, the witch knew she cared. "Yeah."

Angela stole a look at the clock, and stood. "Sorry, but I've got to get going. Let's talk some more though, alright?" She flipped to a blank sheet in her notepad, scribbled her number, and tore it off. She placed it in front of Akiza.

She picked it up and examined it, as Angela stood there. "As you can see," she said, "it's kind of my job to look out for people I care about."

"I understand," Akiza replied easily.

Angela nodded, with a tight smile. "I'm sure you can."

* * *

Tall, Gothic arches soared through the ceilings, giving way to a moonlight no one wanted around. Tiny cherubs graced the floors, their black trumpets easily sounding a nameless lullaby only demons could recall. The melancholic gold splattered all over the walls did little to ease the ominous dread within the atmosphere, and though black, silk curtains cascaded down the window frames, she could still make out the agonizing faces plastered on the glass, the morbid colors shrouding their once healthy frames with terror. The maroon marble on the floor echoed her footsteps back to her, and when she stared out at the crowds around her, she could only make out the obvious blissfulness upon their faces.

Ophelia clenched her fists, as she turned away. Apparently, the Black Rose attacked Mizaki Hotel. Though it was a small ambush, already the rumors had begun circulating around the various territories. Though the rumors were confined to the covens, it still put everyone on edge. What if Fallen caught wind of this? What about Amrbosine? What was the witch thinking anyways? If anything, this was just a pointless act of violence; it served no purpose in the grand scheme of things. It was too obvious, too masochistic, too amateurish. Was he trying to get them all killed?

And yet, there were still more whispers within the crowds. No one had seen Drevis today. From what she could understand, he was another candidate, wasn't he? Did the witch take him out? Was the Black Rose trying to drive a wedge between the coven members?

Ophelia closed her eyes, and shook her head. No, he wouldn't do that. The man she knew was a lot kinder than that; this was probably just another distraction, to turn Fallen's attention away from the real plan. Now, if only everyone _knew_ what that plan was, she could execute it perfectly. She'd show him that he didn't need that woman by his side, that she would be able to handle herself. And who knows? Maybe he'd elevate her status. After all, out of everyone here, it was clear she cared for him the most; the last thing she wanted was to hurt him.

Still, the fact that he called everyone participating in the game here, meant that they'd be fighting. She remembered how he did this before, when all the other territories were rebelling. He assigned everyone their roles, and as long as everyone fulfilled them, they'd win. But she hadn't seen him in so long, neither he nor his Queens. Was was going to happen now? Salem did say he was proceeding with the game as planned, but with Fallen baring down at them, was this really the time for that? Could she ask the witch such things? Was it alright? Would he understand? Of course he would.

Immediately, the clamor grew silent. Ophelia blinked, before looking up.

And there he was, in all his magnificence.

Tainted, azure eyes gazed out at the corrupted scenery, reflecting back a glassy stare she'd grown fond of over the years. A blackened light touched his tan skin, though that humiliating, yellow marker on his cheek marred his perfect complexion. Obsidian bangs descended from his forehead, the yellow highlights in his hair a wonderful contrast between he and the nearly abysmal background. A deep blue jacket covered his arms, and underneath it, a black undershirt with a red insignia smeared onto it. Black jeans covered his legs, with brown combat boots to go with it. That familiar, black rose was latched onto his throat, the blossom as vibrant as she remembered it. A solemn, emotionless frown grazed his lips, and with that, Ophelia breathed a sigh of relief.

How long has it been since she saw him like that? Here he was, her idol, her saviour, a man who had finally managed to step out from the shadows. She was so happy, so very very happy that she could come here him and see him like this. The Queens weren't beside him, and that was a little strange, but that was fine. Either way, as long as he hadn't changed, Ophelia was content.

He regarded them evenly, his orbs surveying the now obedient crowds, before coming down the grand staircases, one hand on the wooden rails, the other to his side. He walked in front of them, a piercing light within his eyes. Once everyone quieted, he took a deep breath, and said, "Firstly, I would like to congratulate all of you, for making it this far."

Sheepish smiles grazed the nobility's faces, but Ophelia could only fight down a disgusted glare; after 50 years, and with everyone dying out, killed, or just outright dropping out, _now_ he congratulates them. In her opinion, they all deserve to die. Still, the witch never noticed anything, and continued. "Now, I'm sure you're all aware of the situation involving Fallen as well?"

Disgruntled mumbles resounded from their audience. He nodded expectantly. "I've allowed them do whatever they wished, but in light of some recent events, I've decided I can no longer afford to turn a blind eye. Thus, I think it's time we speed things up a bit. I'm sure you're all aware of a certain young woman I've grown acquainted with."

Ophelia stiffened. Not that tramp again. What? Is he going to make her his concubine? She was going to throw up if he did, more so if he decided to bring her here, to the coven. She wouldn't last an hour.

"I want you all to try and kill her."

She stopped.

 _What?_

Confused murmurs erupted from the crowds, as the Black Rose smiled easily. "You heard me," he said. "There are some new conditions to the game. Starting now, I will be protecting this woman. If you can kill both me and her, the title is yours."

"Why!?" someone immediately shouted. "What purpose does she serve?"

"How is this 'speeding things up'?!"

"What is she to you anyways?!"

"An experiment," he announced, hushing the crowds. "I want to try something, and if I'm right, the game will end with the lot of you dead."

One coven member clenched his fists. "That's not fair. You can't just change the rules-!"

"What's wrong?" the witch pressed. "She's just a normal woman; nothing special about her." When the man fell silent, he turned to the rest of the candidates. "Are you all really that scared of the normal world?"

"B-but-!"

"Stop it."

Slowly, everyone turned to Ophelia, who was standing there, the disbelief still in her eyes. All the same, a slow smile formed upon her lips, as she stared up at her idol adoringly.

So…if that woman is killed, and if the Black Rose is still alive, there'd be no way to claim the title. No one here is humble enough to go after two different targets; they'll all try killing the woman first, before aiming for the witch. If Ophelia can get to her first, and claim her kill, no one would dare try touching him. No, it wasn't a stated rule; rather, an understanding of the natures surrounding her. This was perfect.

She turned to the man, and imitated her rose's formal tone. "If our leader wishes this, then we should do it. Besides, I know a little about this woman."

She looked up at the Black Rose, who, along with the crowds, was waiting expectantly. "She's a duelist, right? A woman who carried the name, the Black Rose Witch? She's got that stupid dragon with her too."

She could practically hear their thoughts now, as the realization dawned on their faces. So, this was a matter of pride rather than difficulty, huh? Two black roses, to prick in a field of thorns; not a bad thought, really. Ah, what a funny way of dealing with the situation. But then again, he was always a funny man.

She could feel his icy eyes regard her for some time, before turning back to the audience. "And there you have it. For anyone who's participating in the game, be aware of the rules. I won't tolerate disobedience. Understood?"

"Yes sir," they all cried happily.


	30. Chapter 30

They stared out at the sea of buildings, the pristine streets illuminated from within the darkness. Lively shadows shrouded them easily, the blinding horizon from far away creating a procession of colors filled with fluorescence. Unlit light posts grazed the sides of the old Daedalus Bridge, giving it an air of abandonment, rather than the majesty it usually carried during the day. It seems even night could change magnificent aspects as that, though of course, even that magnificence was incredibly ephemeral, however glorious the bridge appeared. The raging, abysmal waters from down below served to emphasize the gracelessness the bridge exuded.

Jack bit the inside of his cheek, as he stared down at his own, wavering shadow. His white trench coat contrasted sharply to the dark azure, the bleak skies giving little way to the purity upon his frame. His sharp, blond hair clung to his neck through the humid air, though his amethyst eyes took no notice of it. Standing just a few feet away, was Crow, who had the same, anxious expression on his face. And just behind them, were their duel runners, sitting patiently for their mysterious visitor to show up.

Jack clenched his fists, fighting the urge to ponder on what trouble Yusei had gotten into. First the hostage situation, then the duel gangs, then the hospital fire…and now this. The bad guys were beaten back, weren't they? What happened to living out their lives, training for the WRGP, making ends meet? Things weren't even supposed to go this far, though of course, Jack figured this was all just part of being a Signer. That is, if there was anything here at all.

He closed his eyes. Yusei was one of his best friends. Jack liked to think that the two were pretty close, like brothers, though in the end, it seems even that came under scrutiny. Jack couldn't deny how strange Yusei had been acting, and the more he thought about it, the more he became on edge. If Yusei was, indeed, in trouble, he should know he could count on his friends. There was no need to rely on some stranger to tell them what was going on.

But despite even that, Crow still pushed them to go. It was worth their time, at least, to see what this person had to say. After all, even though the Dark Signer war was over, there was a really good chance someone might come along and screw everything up. Jack wouldn't put it pass the bad guys, at least.

A distant roar sounded behind them. When Jack turned, he saw a black duel runner, racing toward them. The lights grew brighter and brighter with each passing second. It wasn't long before the runner came to a screeching halt, the echoes resounding throughout the bridge. Jack only had to squint to see a red rose strapped to the rider's throat, the same rose the mall hijackers had. Both he and Crow stiffened, but neither said anything.

He didn't wear a helmet, the man, the redness on his cheeks evident of his almost daring stunt. He stepped off the bike, and regarded the two evenly. Dark blond bangs fell to his piercing, grey eyes. He wore a dark green military uniform, with a black undershirt beneath. His brown combat boots were covered with silver chains, and just off the rim, a golden skull dangled, its devilish smile twisted upwards grotesquely. He steadied his duel runner, before letting it go completely. A serious frown tugged at his lips, though Jack could easily make out the humor in his eyes. "Jack Atlas and Crow Hogan, I take it?"

Crow narrowed his eyes. He folded his arms in front of his chest, and returned the man's cautious stare. "So who was she? The one that called?"

"My personal secretary."

"Didn't think a guy like you had one of those."

The man chuckled lightly. "It's just to keep up appearances."

"Moving on," Jack said impatiently, though the man refused to give up his carefree disposition. "Who are you anyways? And what'd you know about Yusei?"

The man slid his gaze towards Jack. "So…you're friends?"

"Yeah."

After a brief pause, he nodded slightly. "I apologize. My name is Belial. I, along with my 'secretary', are apart of an organization called Fallen."

Jack flickered his orbs to that bloody rose, the ugly reminder shattering his already broken pride. "So you were the ones who attacked the mall?"

Belial's eyes widened. It only took him a single second to process what Jack was saying. Then, without waring, he burst out laughing. "Good heavens, no!" he howled gladly, as he touched the tip of the rose with his fingers. "I'm a double agent, you can see."

"Then who was behind the attack?"

"A group of ingrates who call themselves the Black Rose Coven."

"And you're okay, with just telling us all of this?"

"Of course. You are Fudo's friends, aren't you?"

Jack scowled at Belial, the mocking edge within his voice slowly overtaking his composure. Crow took one step forward, recognizing the frustration boiling beneath Jack. "So this group…what? Are they, like, a duel gang or something? What're they after? And what's Yusei got to do with them?"

Belial raised his hands, that irritatingly pleasant grin dancing on the corners of his lips. "Slow down; one question at a time."

"I've got a better one," Jack muttered. "How do we know we can trust you, first of all? It's not like you've-"

"For one thing, your friend had something to do with the hospital fire."

Jack immediately dismissed the notion with a pitiful scoff. "Where's your proof?"

Quietly, Belial reached into the folds of his jacket, and pulled out a photograph. He walked over to the two and dangled it in front of them. He looked up at Jack, jokingly sneering at him as the blonde walked toward him, and swiped the photograph away. Crow leaned over, trying to catch a glimpse of the picture within the shadows. Jack squinted, as he held up the photograph to his face.

There was Yusei, calmly strolling through the hallway.

And surrounding him, a sea of tiny corpses.

"Fortunately for us, we've got footage of him the night the fires happened," Belial continued. "You're both intelligent, so I'm sure you're aware of the body count."

Crow blanched, his mouth slightly agape. He only stood there, the uncomfortable silence shrouding him, though Jack managed to find his voice. There was no way this was real; the guy probably must've photoshopped this somewhere. This was all just some elaborate prank, and any second now, the paparazzi would come out and laugh at Crow's stunned face. Besides which, even if this was real, this just shows Yusei walking around; there's no way to connect him to the fires. He looked up. "What is this?"

Belial shrugged. "Your friend and his victims."

"Like hell. When was this taken?"

"The night when the hospital burned down."

Jack snorted haughtily. "Funny. The doctors discharged him when-"

Belial cocked his head. "Oh? And how could they, when they were all dead?"

He froze. "What?"

"Fallen kept records of every staff member. The doctor in charge of Mr. Fudo's…operation, was brutally slaughtered before he even got to see him."

Crow's remained silent, though Jack kept up his fight. "It still doesn't mean Yusei had anything to do with the fire. For all you know, he could've-"

"Mr. Atlas, I want you to look back at that picture. Focus on the bodies."

"I don't need _you_ to-"

"Cut up, aren't they?" he continued. "Sliced, minced, crushed, and not a shred of remorse on his face."

Jack growled, as he gazed down at the photograph again. He knew Yusei, and he would never do something like that. So what if he was a little disturbed? That doesn't mean he hadn't freaked out about it before. Besides, with a scene like this, no wonder Yusei had been acting strange. But still, those bodies, the corpses…

He felt like throwing up.

Crow tore his eyes away from the photograph, and turned to Belial. "How did you get this?"

"A member snuck into the hospital and removed some of the footage before the fire could destroy it, of course."

"You said body count before."

"And as you can see, it doesn't seem like those children have been burned alive. The "natural gas leak incident" was just an excuse the hospital told the public. Even the director doesn't know what caused such a horrendous scene. In a way, it almost looks like an execution ground, wouldn't you say?"

Jack tightened his grip on the edges of the photograph. Before long, he threw the picture to the ground, the rage finally overtaking him. "So what're you saying?! You're saying _Yusei_ did all that?! Killed a bunch of children, then blew up a hospital?!"

Crow shocked himself awake, and shakily fixed his attention on Belial. "T-that's right. Where do you get off saying stuff like that anyways? What's in it for you?"

The humor vanished instantly, and at that moment, Belial's expression darkened. He placed one, single hand on his chest, and regarded them with even eyes. "The reassuring fact that we've put down a rabid witch."

Jack gritted his teeth. "Shut up."

"If you want more proof, I'd be happy to-"

" _Just shut up."_

Belial flinched at Jack's hard tone. Still, he maintained his composure, and cleared his throat, the feigned happiness, once again, plastered over his expression. "If you'd like, we could meet somewhere else to talk about this. I'm sure you're familiar with the old Arcadia ruins, correct?"

Jack scoffed. "Why'd we ever go with you is a complete mystery to me. Come on Crow, let's go."

Only quiet answered him.

"Crow," Jack said again.

It took a while, before Crow finally managed to say…anything. "C-coming," he muttered quietly, before following Jack.

"If you want to know more," Belial called, as they kept walking away, "I suggest you meet me there one week from now. Same time, of course."

* * *

Alexis kept scampering around the boundaries of the park, a relaxed smile tugging at her delicate lips. Her arms flailed happily through the gentle breeze, as she took in the magnificence of the twilight air. Her white, tattered dress bounced up and down, her movements flourishing elegantly through the midnight, the black rose on her throat providing a sharp contrast between her pale skin, and the darkness around her. She breathed in deeply, before continuing on with her trek, her blond strands scattered all over the place. Her warm, caramel eyes wandered the shadows deliciously, taking in the flowerbeds, the bushes, the weeds, anything at all that resembled the plants her mentor had grown fond of. She turned back, and invited both Jaden and Yusei to join her little, fairylike waltz, both of whom declined. Though they could tell she was disappointed, in the end, she swept back to her imaginations, and replayed her dance.

Jaden smiled at Alexis for a little while, as he watched her ignorant innocence in all its glory. Once or twice, he could hear a tiny hum escape her lips, and though she would move someplace else, he could still listen. As she danced farther and farther away, Jaden turned to Yusei then, utter confusion embedded in his expression. "Hey-"

"I know," Yusei answered, without looking back.

Jaden blinked. "Are you really going to end it?"

"Well, with everything that's happened, we can't afford to get sidetracked anymore. Sorry, if this puts a dent in your plans."

Jaden regarded Yusei for a while, as he turned back to the empty space, where Alexis used to dance. "So…I'm guessing you already know?"

"The moment Sayer mentioned Amrbosine's name, I could tell. And judging from what Jean told me before, it seems Fallen's gotten stronger over the past couple of years." His eyes flickered toward Jaden. "By the way, the Crimson Dragon…?"

"Both Alexis and I investigated Duel Academy," Jaden answered easily, returning Yusei's emotionless gaze. He twisted his body, and walked over to the marble water fountain that was situated in the middle of the pathway. Murky waters stared up at him pathetically, as he continued with the conversation. "Aside from Yubel and the Light of Destruction, we didn't find anything else. And don't forget; when we graduated, Fallen had already died out."

Yusei narrowed his eyes. "What're the chances that some of the minor branches regrouped under Amrbosine's command?"

Jaden looked down at his reflection. "Amrbosine?"

"A friend of sister dearest."

"Huh. But that's the thing; didn't Akiza already destroy those branches? If she's acquainted with Belletrix, shouldn't the major branches have already died out?"

"No."

He bit the bottom of his lip. "Then yeah; it's possible."

After a long pause, Jaden felt Yusei turn away. "I see." he replied in a hard voice.

"What're you gonna do?"

"Is there any way to get rid of this stupid mark? From what I've seen, the organization can track me if I keep this thing around."

"As far as I know, no. Until something happens, looks like you're stuck with that thing." He turned back. "If there's something you need to get done, Alexis and I can always do it for you. As far as we know, no one in the coven suspects 'Yusei Fudo' of anything. You don't have to keep doing this by yourself."

Yusei smirked. "So you're the ones who took Drevis out."

Jaden froze. Disbelief clouded his eyes, as his shoulders tensed. However, he maintained his nonchalant tone, unwilling to accept the obvious display of brotherly love. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb," Yusei replied easily, as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Drevis always shows up to these meetings. Out of everyone there, he was always the most diligent, and when I announced the game, the most ambitious. He wouldn't just skip out on things like this, unless something happened."

He remained quiet.

"Jaden," he repeated, in a rather stern voice.

"Ask Alexis what'd happened," Jaden finally said. "She did most of the work."

"No, but you finished him off, right?"

"I've no comments."

Yusei cocked his head. "Tell me; did you and Alexis interfere with the game?"

"Yes."

Jaden slid his orbs over to Alexis's small silhouette, which was sullied with petals and dirt. She carried an armful of blossoms in her arms, their withering petals already fleeing from her tight grip. Tiny scratches marred her hands, though they quickly healed, leaving only fleeting memories of the scars. She stared at Yusei for the longest time, the smile immediately fading from her lips. "We were worried."

"I didn't ask for bodyguards," Yusei said, as Alexis strolled to Jaden. She leaned against his shoulder, the petals escaping from her grasp. "Besides, what'd I tell the two of you anyways?"

"Why?" Jaden murmured.

"What?"

It was then Alexis stayed quiet. Jaden only had to take one look at her face, for the realization to come through his brain. He flickered his eyes uncertainly at Yusei, the same frown reflected upon his lips. "Why'd you make this game anyways?" he asked. "What exactly are you hoping to accomplish with it?"

"Didn't I already tell you?" Yusei said then, as he leaned against the tree trunk. "Ever since the rebellion, I've been looking for a quick way to weed out the traitors. _This_ is one way to do it."

"Okay, but as for all other candidates left, I don't think they'd be willing to make a move against you. They're all either cowards or arrogant, and even if there were ambitious members in the mix, no one would dare challenge you."

He heard Yusei chuckle. "I guess you're right."

"What then? Why go through with this?"

After a long pause, Yusei took a deep breath, and stole his eyes to the evening sky. "Because one of the candidates, the Violets, were working with Fallen."

Jaden's eyes widened. His lips parted slightly, and though the words were built in his throat, in the end he managed to calm himself down. Alexis, on the other hand, was still in shock, the smallest traces of fear growing from the corner of her eyes. "Those idiots?"

"To think they actually got under everyone's noses too."

Jaden nodded. "So basically, you don't trust any of the nobles."

"That's right."

"Then why bring Akiza into it? You yourself said she was nothing special-"

"I lied."

"What?"

Blue orbs came back to the two, and along with that, an empty smile. "She's not normal; I've seen it with my own eyes. Now, it's just a matter of finding out who she actually is. Without, of course, getting my hands dirty."

Alexis straightened herself, and shook her head. "I don't want Aki involved. She doesn't have anything to do with the game, or Fallen-"

"Alexis has a point," Jaden continued. "If we bring anymore innocents into this, the public will catch wind of both our coven, and of Fallen. After all, no one's forgotten about Jean's little slip-up. We've also been hiding our identity from the major international figures; if they find out who we are, the blackmail might not work anymore. You know, morals and all that."

"Let me handle that," Yusei dismissed. "Though by now, I suppose I'm going to have to increase the dosage."

"You've still got some left?"

"Of course; even after the hospital burned down, the drugs were easy to obtain. The tricky part is that man, Sayer. He's probably liable to tell her everything he knows about me."

Alexis looked up. "You want us to kill him?"

Yusei shook his head. "No. Pressure him into thinking he has no other choice but to follow my orders. I'm sure he's never seen you two before, so it should be simple enough."

Alexis nodded tiredly, before removing herself from Jaden's side. "Oh, and about what we said earlier…"

Yusei's eyes darkened. "Right. So, I assume the two of you have yet to fully recover your memories?"

Jaden grimaced, before nodding. Alexis turned away, the embarrassment embedded within a tiny frown. Yusei examined them, before nodding. "It's fine," he reassured. "Mine aren't back yet either. But I am starting to recall some things. We will find whoever did this."

"Still," Jaden mused, "why wait? If they wanted to kill us, shouldn't they have done it by now?"

Alexis looked back. "Maybe they want to play with us? You know, kind of like dolls in a dollhouse."

Yusei laughed emptily. "Maybe. At any rate, keep an eye out. I want you both to keep playing your characters; feed false information to Raines, and if she keeps prying, make up some story, alright? Alexis, I expect you to tell me everything she knows."

"Right."

"Jaden, I want you to hack into the government database. The files need to be authentic. And while you're at it, try looking into some of Fallen's latest experiments. Find out everything you can, then tell me. It'd also be nice," he continued, as he drew back his sleeve and showed them the mark, "if you could find a way to remove this thing."

Jaden nodded. "And what about you? Now that you've presented Aki as a target, no doubt they'll try going after her first."

" _I'm_ not going to do anything," Yusei answered quietly. "Yusei Fudo, on the other hand…"

"You're still going along with this?"

"It's the easiest way to avoid trouble. Right now, Fallen's marked me, so more than likely they're focused on me. I'll distract them when the next noble attacks. In the meantime, try not to stand out too much."

"What about Aki?" Alexis said then. "What happens if something slips up, or if she finds out? What're you gonna do?"

"Nothing."

Jaden sighed. "So after all that drugging…"

"It was Jean's mistake. We're just reaping the consequences from it," Yusei explained. "Besides, now that everyone's after her too, we'll get to see what she's capable of." He smirked. "And I can't think of any place better to start, then Fallen."

* * *

Author's Note:

-Hello, I am the Seelie Court Jester.

-Belial is the name of a fallen angel. It means "without worth", which will later play into the story.

-Salem was named after the town, where the witch hunts took place. The reason why he can change his shape so many times is a reference to the numerous innocents that've died. So many innocents, so many faces to choose from. The fact he's in a coven serves to emphasize the irony.

-Ophelia, the Knight, is a reference to Hamlet's Ophelia. The character fell in love with Hamlet, but when he didn't return her feelings, she fell into a pond and drowned. She's a hallmark of insanity, this one.


	31. Chapter 31

_Go ahead and tell her. I really don't care._

Sayer's could feel Amrbosine staring him down, the contempt radiating from her face, as she tried making sense of what told her. He couldn't look her in the eyes, couldn't even begin to think up a suitable excuse as to why Yusei was there, in that hotel. Gripping his clutches tightly, he fixed his gaze on the floor, the words building up in his throat. He didn't dare move from his spot, the humiliation seared onto his face as he waited for her to say…anything.

 _In fact, I'd prefer if you did._

Word had gotten out of the casualties in the hotel. Dubbed, the "Mizaki Massacre", fifty staff members were found dead in the hallways, and another hundred were injured. The survivors couldn't remember anything, other than the screams and cries they heard from their colleagues. As for the guests, a majority of them were either in their rooms, or in the ballroom, enjoying yet another fanciful party organized by corrupted, high rise officials; no one important saw the devastation that'd taken place outside. Which, of course, was one of the reasons why Amrbosine was on edge; to think that a murderer had gone gleefully killing, striking down anyone in his way, and practically no one even heard the tiniest of pleas.

And yet, despite that, he could still see Yusei's eerie, blank face in his nightmares. He could still make out the stubborn flames surrounding that monster's dark frame, the cold eve of the twilight shrouding him with mystery.

And anger had filled him all over again.

"Sayer."

Sayer winced. He took a deep breath, and timidly looked at Amrbosine. Her frustrated, yet emotionless face outlined his expectations, though it was more frightening than he anticipated. But he remained silent, unwilling and unable to speak.

"What else did he say?"

He tensed at the memory. Before long, he turned away, his own reluctance and fear strangling his throat. "He's looking for a fight."

She huffed haughtily. "He really is an idiot then, isn't he?"

"What'd you-?"

"For years, he hasn't done anything," she murmured amusingly, as she folded her arms in her lap. Sayer stiffened when she smiled, that predatory glint in her eyes taking over her now hostile gaze. "We're pushing the boundaries, and now that Fallen's grown again, he's starting to take action."

He narrowed his eyes. "Amrbosine-"

"It's true though, isn't it?" Amrbosine instantly interrupted. He could see that unmistakable arrogance on her face, so very familiar to the politicians he'd seen on TV, or even to Goodwin, who thought he ruled the world with an iron fist. She settled back in her seat, a smug smile tugging at her lips. "That little incident at the General Hospital just shows that we _are_ capable of killing him. Looks like the Rose has lost his thorns after all."

Sayer clenched his fist. "So your goons were the ones who started the fire."

"I honestly didn't even think he'd be there. Honestly, I was only aiming for a couple of traitors who went behind my back."

"But you _knew_ I was there…"

"And here you are, alive and well. With your clutches, I might add. Broken arm too?"

Sayer brushed aside the stinging comment. "You shouldn't underestimate him-"

She wheeled her chair around, turning toward the dark skyline arising from the subtle dawn. "He hasn't done anything to stop us now. From what I can understand, there's been a bit of a power struggle between the elites that witch. The fact he's now trying to mobilize his soldiers into fighting is a testament to how serious things are. The factions are getting stronger and stronger everyday; soon, they'll be decentralized enough to the point where we can annihilate them easily."

"And how, exactly, did you come up with that?"

"My guess is that he's desperate," she continued, ignoring his sharp glare. "He's seen what we can do, and now he's trying to reclaim his authority. It's so predictable it's pathetic."

Sayer shifted his gaze sideways. Although he knew the animosity between Yusei and Amrbosine, he'd absolutely no clue what'd happened. And since he didn't know anything about Yusei, that was yet another disadvantage crippling him. Getting a bit of leeway with Akiza was still a goal, but he couldn't even talk with her unless he knew what was going on. Yusei was an incredibly close friend to her after all, and until he had evidence against him, Sayer knew his options were limited. More than likely Goodwin already told her what was going on, and judging from the expression on her face the night she saw him at the hospital, it didn't look like there was a chance she'd even believe him.

 _It'd be more fun that way._

Sayer almost flinched at the recollection of those words, but nonetheless, he managed to shove them aside. "Amrbosine," he began, "what exactly happened between you and Nikolai?"

A dreadful pause slammed itself into the conversation. At once, he could feel the remaining warmth in the air slowly dissipate from them, the contempt gradually gaining ground. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the same, feral shadows making their way towards, him, the ominous air little more than a warning of what was to come. And yet, despite that, Sayer stood firm, and waited for her to answer.

Finally, she turned back, a hollow frown on her face. He could remember that frown, the same one that model had, when she'd lost her little brother. It was the same look every person in society had, when they realized their loved ones were psychics. So painful, so cruel, so merciless, yet they had the gaul to pretend that they were the innocent ones, that those psychics persecuted themselves the moment they were aware of their powers. They were all so…naive, just like Akiza.

He could use this.

"So, you finally believe me?" she mused.

"I can't think of any other reason as to what I'd seen."

"The truth might shock you even more."

He smiled to himself. He'll keep the little tidbit about Akiza to himself; he didn't want Amrbosine sinking her claws into the girl, nor did he want her to belong to anyone else. Besides, Amrbosine has proven more than capable of handling herself. Who knows? Perhaps, in the near future, he could use her.

So he nodded, and accepted her challenge. "That's fine."

* * *

It was the first time Akiza saw them come up to her like this.

It was a normal Monday morning, and just like any other day, everyone was tired, either from the late night study sessions, or from barely passable hangovers. Students kept dropping dead left from right, and even the teachers seemed a little fatigued. The twins, likewise, incredibly irritated at each other. Apparently, Leo couldn't put down a simple game to go study, while Luna kept trying to goad him into doing said studying, knowing what'd happen should they slack off. Still, her warnings never deterred the boy, and he countered her passive threats with a simple shrug.

It seems that, out of everyone here, Jaden and Alexis were perfectly fine. Jaden even smiled today, so that was something. Though Alexis was a bit less enthusiastic as she usually was, in the end, Akiza couldn't help but wonder exactly what'd happened between the two. No, they weren't glowing or anything, but at the time, something changed between the two, so much so their happiness was infectious. So when they came up to her, smiles and everything, she only returned their grins. "Hi," she said calmly.

Jaden nodded, while Alexis grabbed both her hands and started swinging them around. "Hi Aki," she said. "What's up?"

"Nothing much. Hey, about last week-"

"Yeah, sorry about that," she replied apologetically, as she placed Akiza's hands firmly back to her side. "We were a little busy with something."

"Oh?"

Jaden sighed. "Guess who forgot about calc?"

Akiza narrowed her eyes, as she turned back to the blonde. "You really are…"

"What?" Alexis stated, as she tugged her bag to her shoulders. She gently nudged Akiza and Jaden toward the illustrious corridors of the Academy, taking shelter beneath the gentle shadows. "I get things done."

Jaden barked out a harsh laugh. "Yeah. Like, _two seconds_ before it's due."

"Oh yeah, that reminds me." She leapt in front of Akiza, promptly grabbing both her hands once more. Then, with pleading eyes, she whimpered, "Help me with an essay?"

It took Akiza a full minute to process what she'd said. Finally, she sighed. "No."

"Please?"

"Your lit class is in an hour, isn't it?"

"It's not that much work," she mumbled softly.

"How long?"

"Ten pages."

Akiza's eyes widened. "Alexis!"

"What?"

Jaden simply scoffed. "Aki, don't even bother. And Lex…don't drag Aki into this! It's your own fault."

Alexis huffed, letting Akiza's hands slip through her fingers. She leered toward him, with a mischievous grin on her face. "I highly doubt that."

"How's it-?"

"Hey, Aki!" Alexis suddenly whispered. "It really isn't _my_ fault. The reason why I couldn't do any of it last night…was because Jaden and I have been _playing_."

Akiza chuckled awkwardly. _This_ she could afford not to hear. "R-right…"

Jaden gritted his teeth. "Alexis-"

"You know," Alexis continued, " _naughty_ kinds of games."

Akiza leaned away. "Lex…"

"The one with checkers and stickers and all that."

…What?

Still, Jaden tried grabbing her, only for the girl to escape his grasp. She instantly howled with laughter, as she swirled around Akiza. "It's true, isn't it?"

"Stop making it sound like that!" he shouted, as he grabbed one of Akiza's shoulders and raced around her. It was then they started running around in circles, with Akiza in the middle. The redhead only stared at the two amusingly, before checking the clock; they were still pretty early.

"Aki, you know what else we did?" Alexis chimed humorously.

"Hold still!"

"What?" she barely managed, the bright grin happily plastered on her face. "You wanna tell her?"

"There's nothing _to tell!"_

Akiza scratched the back of her head. "Hey, c'mon guys…"

"We had _lots_ of fun!"

"Alexis…!"

"Hot and heavy-"

Jaden almost grabbed her, but somehow, Alexis managed to slip away, the same, quirky smile on her face. Before he could take another step, she scampered away, her hair strands quickly slipping out of his fingers. Akiza watched as her tiny frame raced off into the distance, the carefree expression on her face embedded into her mind.

Jaden clenched his fists, and started to run after her, when Akiza remembered something. "Hey, Jaden," she said immediately, before the boy could run off. "I talked with that reporter yesterday."

He stopped.

Slowly, he straightened, and turned towards her, the surprise on his face. She could practically see him trying to piece the situation together, though his eyes never left her face. After a few seconds, he nodded. "Huh."

"It looked like she was worried about you both."

He placed both his hands in his pockets. "Worried?"

"She just wanted to see if you two were doing alright. Nothing too personal."

"So, what'd she ask?"

Akiza paused, for a brief moment. A part of her regretted telling Jaden…anything. If she'd known it'd come to this, she would've kept her mouth shut. However, she couldn't help but wonder what was to come from this, what could possibly going on inside his head. The strange look in his eye, was familiar somehow, both familiar, and foreign at the same time. She couldn't remember when she'd seen that expression on his face, but nonetheless, she still had to answer him somehow.

And it was through that logic that she managed to find her voice. "She asked if you were both ever hospitalized."

His lips parted slightly. Then, without hesitation, he shook his head, the humor slowly coming back to his face. "I think I'd remember that."

Akiza could recall her answers to Angela's questions, could remember the details from which those questions had come. She replayed the words in her brain, before looking up at Jaden. "When did you two transfer in?"

"Last year," he replied easily.

"If you don't mind me asking-"

"Lex had some relatives here. My parents work abroad, so I live here, with Alexis."

Akiza nodded thoughtfully. "Where do they work?"

"England. They're engineers. Speaking of which, Yusei was talking about you."

Her ears perked up. She didn't think he was that close to Yusei, though for some odd reason, it made sense. "Really? You talk often."

"Yeah. You know, it might just be me, but I think he really likes-"

"What're you two doing?!" a girl screamed from far away. The two turned back, and saw Alexis standing there, arms folded, the prideful gleam in her eyes easily distinguishable from her dark surroundings. Akiza couldn't help but giggle at the curiousness of her innocent expression, one devoid of jealousy or sorrow. She was just like a child, that one. "We're gonna be late!"

"Ten minutes to class, dumbbell!" Jaden shouted back as Alexis walked over. When she was near, she pressed her side against Jaden's, her chin neatly situated on his shoulders. "You're the dumbbell," she muttered. "Oh hey-"

"We watched TV," he interrupted, effectively cutting her off. "That's _it._ We didn't do anything."

Akiza, of course, didn't believe him. Still, she shrugged off the topic, and turned back to Jaden. "What about Yusei?" she asked.

"Right. I think he likes you."

Akiza automatically dismissed the notion, though she could feel the heat slowly spread across her cheeks. She bit her lip, mentally kicking herself for even blushing at the notion, especially with what'd happened over the last few weeks. But she took a deep breath, and smiled, shoving all her troubling suspicions away from her. "We're just friends."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Liar."

"Shut it."

Alexis stuck out her bottom lip, but even that display didn't last long. Her brain was already flying to a different topic, so much so Akiza could see her thoughts passing her by. "So anyways, there's a festival this weekend, in downtown Neo Domino. It's inside, so we won't have to worry about the rain. You wanna go?"

Akiza easily nodded. The guys were probably just going to train for the WRGP, and she's already ahead anyways. "Sure, I'll go. What's it about?"

Jaden groaned, as Alexis enthusiastically bounced up and down. "Horror," she answered. "You know, like Jack the Ripper and stuff."

"…Huh…"

"It's totally free! You've only got to pay for the food."

Jaden flickered his eyes toward Alexis. "That's not what she meant."

"You're _volunteering_ there, so you don't get an opinion. So, what'd you say Aki?" the blonde said then, as she extended her hand toward Akiza. "Pretty dark stuff."

She blinked. "I said I'd go, didn't I?"

"You sure?"

She smiled easily. "You asked me."

* * *

Yusei stared down at the keyboard emptily, the eerie silence shrouding the room coating the already tense atmosphere. Slowly, he flickered his eyes around the garage; both Jack and Crow out for whatever they had planned for the day, leaving him to clean the oil stains on the floor. He bit the inside of his cheek, before returning to the computer screen. From the corner of his eyes, he could still make out the box of cyanide sitting on the floor, the contents already throughly examined, with the ugly name _Nikolai_ sticking out from the covers. He endeavored writing more of the program, though in the end, he even failed to accomplish that much. Slowly, he stood up, and walked toward that box.

As far as he was concerned, neither Jack nor Crow knew Yusei still kept it. He'd already gotten rid of the gun, knowing full well it didn't serve him any use of keeping it. Sector Security closed the case long ago, and, with Yusei's influence, wiped the case from the files altogether, and replace them with more mundane explanations. "Terrorists"; that was what the public labeled his coven now. Everyone in Neo Domino bought the lie so easily, so much so it was almost funny to think about.

He reached down, picked up the box, and scrutinized the pills once more. Before long, he picked up the tiny piece of paper, and read his alias again. Probably sent from someone from the lower divisions, most likely a knight. He'd seen this handwriting before, and since there hadn't been any incidents connected with the knights in particular, the person who delivered this had no idea the position Yusei was in. Did Yusei give the order? No, he didn't remember anything like that. So either the knight was incredibly incompetent, or extremely dangerous. The fact that they actually knew Yusei was staying here already put him at a disadvantage. If they somehow found out that Jaden and Alexis attended Duel Academy, it'd complicate things, a lot more than they already have.

He walked over and placed the box on the table, the paper still in his fingers. As time passed, the tainted light growing fainter by the minute, the same, annoying surge of memories pressed against his skull, ready for their unwanted debut. Jaden and Alexis said something about wanting to go to Duel Academy, but he couldn't recall paying for their tuition fees. According to Jaden, they were staying at one of the high-rise apartments, and though they could access the bank account Yusei set up, only government officials were allowed to touch it. It complicated matters, since the account name was set up under their old names. Yusei couldn't even check up on it, at least, not without arousing suspicion; in other words, as of this point, most of his financial assets were frozen.

Over and over again he tried remembering exactly what'd happened when he came to this city. Those two were excited as usual, eager for Yusei to meet the mysterious woman who'd replace their former leader. They were there, right in front of him, about to introduce him to the newest addition to in their makeshift families, then, all of a sudden, everything turned to black. The next second, he found himself with Kalin, who was on the verge of forming the Enforcers, implanted with false memories, and that was that.

So what'd that make Jack and Crow then? After all, they carried the same marks on their arms, didn't they? And what about the Dark Signers? Were they just test subjects too? He remembered talking with Goodwin, but as soon as Yusei entered into the Fortune Cup, it seems the man forgot everything about that. That stupid final duel was just a testament to how blinded he was. The fact that things returned to peace, the prejudice vanishing before everyone's eyes, was a bit odd as well. It took time for prejudice to die, even more so, judging from the audience's reactions when they realized a Satellite had won the championship.

And not only that, but Crow was acting strange yesterday. He kept asking Yusei if he was okay, if Yusei knew that he could on Crow when things got tough. He asked about the marks too, and with a character like Yusei Fudo, when Yusei answered, Crow should've left it at that. He would've believed his friend, and carry on with his business. The guy wouldn't be that concerned if Yusei did escape the danger, even if it was a fire. Something must've happened then, to make Crow behave this way.

His behavior didn't match any of Neo Domino city's population. As the moments wore on, and Yusei thought back on the memories, he couldn't help but see how everyone took everything around them. It was like nothing ever bothered them, those people, and if something did, they'd keep quiet about it. They'd wear those painted smiles like ornaments, and continue on with their day, happy to know they've still got their positive attitudes. With both Jack and Crow, it was different; they weren't behaving as they normally should. It couldn't be due to the marks, since Leo and Luna were also Signers.

The one example that stuck out in his mind was during that afternoon, when he was talking with Akiza. Yusei had her drink _drugged;_ people saw her slumped over on that table, with a glassy look in her eyes. They saw her slowly slump to the floor, her being comatose becoming painfully evident the moment Yusei took her in his arms and carried her back to her house.

And yet, no one reacted. All they had were smiles upon smiles on their face, not even bothering to realize the unconscious woman lying at their feet. They simply chattered away, as if there was not a single lie in the world, the tragedy and sorrow vanishing before them in an instant.

Why?

Still, that wasn't a priority, at the moment. Sayer knew his old name, so that was a bit troubling. The surname, _Izinski,_ of all things, was comprised in that fake name, and he'd absolutely no idea where that came from. Neither Jaden nor Alexis would do something like that; not even they were that sick, and he knew full well the dangers of carrying that alias. No one from the coven knows about Akiza, and as for the senator, he's isn't that corruptible. There's no fun in messing with him, much less ruining his life. And even if he did have to come up with an alias, he would never use use old name.

So who did it? Who made that name up? No one in the coven should even know about his past with Fallen. Sayer mentioned something about Yusei supporting the Arcadia Movement, and while he could vaguely recall some aspects of that, he couldn't remember anything else.

Whoever rewrote their memories…did they have something to do with it? And if that was the case, what'd that make Akiza? Yusei killed her that day, so why was this… _thing_ here? Fallen had been growing stronger, hadn't they? Did they have something to do with this?

And yet, one of the more important issues he needed to address, was how he could've let things get so bad.

But Yusei brushed the thoughts aside, as he tucked the box beneath his arm. By now, Sayer's probably told Amrbosine about what's been going on. The man will gain that woman's trust, and as soon as he does, she'll let down his guard and open up to him a little more. By the time Yusei visits Sayer again, he'll more than likely try to fight, thinking he's got everything figured out, though it'd be useless. He doesn't even realize that the reason Yusei even allowed Sayer to be around Akiza anyways, was for insurance. If he acts up, Yusei can just get Akiza to make him behave. And if that doesn't work, he could always rely on his own power.

But even that was a risky gamble; Yusei had no idea what that creature was capable of, and right now, Jaden and Alexis were testing her out. He might even have to go there too, just to make sure they're safe; she did survive that ghastly hospital fire after all. And who knows? Maybe he'd take their place and have them go after Fallen. He did make her a target after all.

At any rate, the stage was set. If this all works out, Fallen will be finished within the week. Amrbosine was just one person, and even after all the demons she's managed to create, he'll more than happily shut them all down. How far the organization's branched, he didn't know. But he needed to destroy them, and fast; looking at them was just another painful memory for him.

 _So, who's holding the revolver now?_

Yusei paused at his own words, recalling the vivacious night he asked her why she did what she did. Russian roulette, was how she described it, how _Akiza_ described it. Now, as he tucked the box beneath his arm and headed outside, the fountain just up ahead, he couldn't help but chuckle a bit. There was no one around, no cameras either.

"I guess we are," he repeated effortlessly.

He came to the fountain, and dumped the cyanide into the water.


	32. Chapter 32

The bustling soldiers kept passing by him hurriedly, trying to get from one place to the next without anyone noticing their weary dispositions, all the while hiding behind the sharp gleam of their pristine uniforms. Flurries of footsteps resounded against his brain, as conversations kept tipping to and from the Black Rose's latest assault. Quiet, fearful whispers sounded from every corner, though prideful looks maintained their confidence, a mere imitation of their reckless leader. Strategies upon strategies were piled up against one another, with the latest reports that happily predicted the unpredictable victory only adding to the complexities. A few were hesitant in proclaiming their already premature success, but nonetheless, the excitement was contagious.

That, however, didn't matter to Sayer. Instead, he simply shoved the glass doors aside, away from the elegant interiors, away from the sleek, modern lobby which Fallen graced itself, from even the friendly smiles he'd kept getting, a testament to the faith the same soldiers now entrusted him with. He ignored it all, and walked out of the building, confusion and terror entwined together into what appeared to be a single, simplistic expression.

The humid air attacked his face, the dullness lulling him from his uncomfortable emotions. It was comfortable outside, and the warm sunlight baring down at him, but nevertheless, he tugged his brown trench coat near his body. He shoved the glass doors open, and walked away.

His eyes were fixated on the ground. He shoved his hands in his pockets, never minding the greetings he received, and began making his way to nowhere in particular. His large, red bangs were neatly brushed back, as his clear, olive orbs started dissecting every little thing that passed him. And as he did, he could only listen to clamorous conversations passing him by, voices that suspected nothing out of the ordinary, the tones so painfully oblivious to the bloodshed ahead. It was then he thought back on what Amrbosine had told him.

He remembered the wicked smile she had on her face, the anticipation almost eating her alive.

According to Amrbosine, the fact that the bank accounts were so old was no error; Yusei did indeed make them thirty years ago. The amount of money he's amassed, the wealth he's gained through the years, made him a lot older than he seemed. And from the history she's told him, the vivid details surrounding the depths of her mind, it seems she fell under the same fate. Of course, when she even starting suggesting the fact, he was taken back; there was no way he could actually believe that. And yet, all the same, the look in her eyes told him she was dead serious; the recollection of the monsters, at the hospital, as well as Yusei's own power, demolished any skepticism he had left.

A witch, who had long since eluded Fallen, along with a coven of monsters, composed of the scum of hell, were all here, right for the taking. A witch, or rather, a demon, in the form of the beloved King of Turbo Duels, the hero who saved the world from destruction.

"He was probably just runaway experiments or something," she answered. "Though of course, there have been stories where people have made contracts with the devil. Their immortal soul, in exchange for immoral lives. Kind of ironic, don't you think?"

Sayer fought the urge to turn back, knowing full well the building was practically a million miles away from him.

Immortal, huh?

Living forever, without the prospect of dying.

Amrbosine told him that Fallen had developed a bit of an obsession with the concept. For the last centuries, they've been trying to find a way to actually create an immortal human, one without beginning, one without end, a demon, if you will. There weren't a lot of successes, from what he's heard, and for the ones that managed to make it, they ended up destroying themselves in a fit of insanity. Barely any of the test subjects were able to walk out, what with all the probing those madmen had done to them. In a way, it reminded Sayer of the tests he ran with premature psychics, though of course, even that had its mercies. Whenever they failed to meet the Movement's standards, he would simply kill them, and toss them out with the other rejects. For the ones who passed, they were given a home, friends, a family they could call their own. Compared to Fallen, he even had the audacity to say the Movement was more humane.

But right now, Sayer had to affiliate himself with the organization. The Movement was no longer in his grasp, and unless he can get Akiza on his side, all his efforts would be wasted. He's starting to win over Amrbosine, and if he could just get on Yusei's good side, he might have a chance.

He savored the idea for a brief second, before tossing it out; even if Yusei wasn't a complete monster, he still wasn't that stupid. He wanted Sayer to watch over Akiza, but why? Was he just letting his guard down? Was he that confident that Akiza wouldn't betray him, that he'd let someone like Sayer near her? No, there has to be something more to the game. It was like Yusei was expecting Sayer to do something, like he was giving Sayer the resources to finish what he'd started.

 _I want to see how you handle yourself on your own, without that stupid Movement behind you._

Sayer clenched his fists. Anger raced through his veins, as he reminisced on the monster's smirk over and over again.

Even if it was only for a short while, he served as the leader of the Arcadia Movement. He manipulated so many toys into doing his bidding. He got Goodwin to listen to what he had to say, got Akiza to follow him everywhere, no matter how twisted he made her. And here that bastard was, making light of everything around him. The blank stare on his face, the way he slaughtered those people, in the hotel…

Yusei _will_ regret not killing him.

Sayer will make sure of it.

"Mr. Sayer?"

Sayer stopped. Carefully, he scanned the crowd, looking around for the strange, lighthearted voice. He felt a tiny tug at his elbow, and he turned. He saw a girl standing there, waiting patiently for him to notice her.

She was a bit younger than Akiza, from what Sayer could tell. Long, blond hair fell down her shoulders, the tip of the strands caressing her pale, creamy skin. Large, brown eyes gazed up at him wondrously, the light easily reflecting back Sayer's own image. A playful little smile tugged at her lips, and when she took a step back, the smile only widened. She wore a tattered, white dress, the hem reaching toward her knees. She wasn't wearing any shoes, for some odd reason. "Sayer?" she asked again.

He narrowed his eyes, though politely smiled at her. "Can I help you with something?"

The girl cocked her head. "No," she answered. "I just wanted to say your name. I've never actually met someone with that name before."

He blinked. "And how would you know it?"

"My friends told me."

"Your friends?"

"Anyways," the girl continued, as she ignored Sayer's inquisitive gaze. "I won't take much of your time. I just wanted you to know that I love you."

Love?

In that very same moment, he felt a needle jammed into the side of his neck. All the while, he saw a familiar black rose, adorned around the girl's neck.

* * *

Akiza stared down at the gleam of the duel runners, the complicated puzzle still eluding her. She bit her lip, as she stroked the metal with a single finger, the smell of oil and rust reaching her nostrils. It wasn't long before she turned back, and went to that old, beat up couch, with a bored frown on her face. She plopped down, and forced herself to look at her physics problems, which, of course, she didn't want to do.

The warm, nostalgic rays beat down on the ruined paper, the angry scratches nearly tearing apart the poor thing. A small, black calculator lay only a few inches away, and just beyond that, an array of pencils and pens, most of which had been subjected to her own, frustrated amusements. She fought down an urge to look at the clock, knowing what would happen if she should decide to walk away again.

Her eyes lingered to her phone, which sat next to her on the couch. A number of times she's thought about calling someone, _anyone_ , just to get an excuse not to do her homework. Though she tried forcing herself to do something, the temptation never strayed far. The same mess sat in front of her, no matter how much she tried willing it away. In fact, that was the very reason she decided to come here, to the garage. Akiza figured that Yusei's work ethic would (hopefully) rub off on her. But when she arrived, no one was there, though the garage door was left open. Akiza figured that he or the guys had just wandered off somewhere, so she decided to stay behind and work on her homework there. It was nice, quiet, and even for a busy place like this, it seemed everyone was either too tired or too busy to be outside. It was better than the cafe, at least.

But there was another reason she wanted to come here. Though she did feel guilty about it, she needed to do everything she could to pry the information from Yusei. If she was just persistent enough, maybe he'd tell her what was really going on. She could never really imagine Yusei, of all people, lying to her, but then again, she didn't think Sayer would either.

 _I think he likes you._

A scarlet blush splattered across her face. She bit her tongue to keep herself from smiling, all the while combating the happiness blooming in her chest. That's enough; she shouldn't think about that anymore. Until she knew what was going on, she couldn't afford to lose focus.

She really was pathetic, wasn't she?

She narrowed her eyes, as she redid yet another projectile problem from the corner of her eyes, the trigonometric functions pounding against her skull. Once again, she found herself looking at her phone, before turning away, and shoving the tiny device aside. This thing was due tomorrow; if she procrastinated any longer, she was going to be in serious trouble.

"Aki?"

She looked up, and saw Yusei standing there. His jacket was swinging carelessly in his other hand, his raven bangs draped over his azure eyes. Shadows were embedded beneath his normally calm face, and an air of fatigue draped gracelessly around him. Akiza stared at them for a while, before returning to the gibberish etched in front of her.

Crap.

"Hi," she murmured softly.

Slowly, he set the box down. "What're you doing here?" he asked, pleasantly surprised by her visit. "Alexis has been looking for you."

Akiza blinked, before looking up again. "She did?"

"Another essay?" he asked, as he went over to the duel runner, inspecting them for any damage. Akiza bit the inside of her cheek, recalling the pleas Alexis made just this morning. "Yeah," she answered finally. "I guess she got an extension."

"Are you helping her?"

"No," she said flatly. "She can do her own work. Either that or she can just get Jaden to help her. When did you see her anyways?"

"While I was walking back."

"…She was going the opposite way, right?"

He couldn't help but chuckle. "That's right."

She sighed gratefully. "Independence is always a good thing."

He smirked, before returning to his inspection. Akiza examined the problems with the same careful scrutiny. But as she did, she began losing focus once again, and soon, her eyes lingered toward Yusei's back. She couldn't see his face from here. Even if she could, Akiza knew she wouldn't be able to make out anything from his unreadable expression.

Still, she couldn't hold herself back. "Yusei?"

"Hmm?"

"Why'd you lie?"

He paused for a moment. "What'd I lie about?"

She clutched her pen. "I…I told you I got hit by a car."

"But you were in the hostage crisis."

She froze, unable to comprehend how easily he admitted to misleading her. Akiza's lips parted slightly, though she managed to shake the shock from her body. "Yes," she replied softly. "So why-?"

"The doctors figured that was just your way of coping with it," he answered. He stood up, and turned to her, the concern in his eyes. Hesitation permeated from his frame,as he slowly walked over to her. "So, do you…want to talk about it?"

Akiza nodded.

Wordlessly, Yusei came to her, and sat beside her. His eyes lingered toward her physics homework for a while, the humor flickering from the corners of his mouth. Akiza stiffened at the unexpected joke; personally, she wanted to trash the sheet and start over, or throw herself over the humiliating object and pretend it didn't exist.

His gaze came back toward her then. "What _do_ you remember then?"

"That's just it," she confessed, prying herself away from the trivial predicament. "I don't remember anything. You and Crow and Leo and Luna; you all say the same thing, but I can't…I just don't remember."

He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. It'll come back to you."

"And then there was the hospital," she continued, causing him to fall silent. "Yusei…there were _monsters_ there."

"Monsters?"

"Monsters that…looked like kids," she reminisced, that morbid night gradually easing itself into her mind. "Monsters…who were emaciated, beaten, with nothing but fangs and claws stuck to them."

She went on to describe them, all the while maintaining her calm disposition. She told him about the tiny creature who attacked her, as well as the demonic pack that surrounded her, looking for ways to tear off her arms and legs. She told him about the feral look in their eyes, the utter lack of compassion and light as they barred their fangs at her, as well as the primitive instincts overtook them without any hesitation. She told him about the fires that swarmed her, about how she found herself, literally bleeding to death on the ground. She told him about the monsters surrounding her, nothing more than animals who'd lost their innocence so very long ago. She even told him about hearing his voice there, about a cool shadow who seemingly protected her from the flames. She refrained from mentioning anything about waking up in her bed that very next morning, trying to brush off the entire incident as but a simple nightmare that'd disappear as soon as the light hit her eyes.

And as Yusei sat there, listening to her story, Akiza couldn't tell what was going through his mind, his cloudy eyes revealing nothing of whatever turbulence was swirling inside. There was a time when he nodded, showing that he did remember those moments, while other times, he could only sit there, a subtle, untraceable emotion hiding behind his face. When she was done, Akiza could only turn away. Carefully, she set the pen down, finally giving up on solving the projectile problem; it was nothing but a disorganized mess anyways.

"Did you tell anyone else?" he, at last, asked.

"No."

"Well, I did see you," he told her quietly. He turned away, and stared at the emptiness in front of him. "I saw you lying on the ground, and I got you out."

"Huh…"

"Maybe you were just too tired to remember all of it."

Carefully, she put her legs up, her hands lying motionlessly on her lap. "Yeah, maybe."

He breathed a heavy sigh, but nonetheless, he smiled. "But yeah; it was a close one. By the time I got there…"

They shared a solemn silence, as the images of the monsters were seared into her brain. She could still make out the outlines of their tiny bodies, every time she closed her eyes. They looked so much like the boy she saw in her delusions, long before all of this began. Aside from the rose latched onto his throat, there was practically no difference between the people she saw. She didn't want to tell Yusei about it, for fear she might actually sound crazy. Though she was sitting here, trying to rationalize everything, in the end she knew it wasn't working. But it made things easier to deal with; the pressure had gone from her chest, and it was times like this she was almost glad she had Yusei as a confidant.

Almost.

She gripped the edges of her skirt. "I saw Sayer too, while I was there."

"What happened?" he asked.

"I don't know," she laughed emptily. "He said you did something to him."

"Wasn't he arrested though? What was he doing there?"

She shook her head, ready to give into the questions swirling around in her brain. "I don't know."

"Aki?"

She rubbed her forehead. What was real? She remembered things that'd never happened, and for the dreams she's deluded herself into getting lost into, as it turns out, they were real. Shadows upon shadows, of things she may or may not have created; was this another aspect of her power? Was this just another way her past could torment her? Was she really just mad, descending down a velvet, crimson channel of illusions?

She finally sighed. "Sorry, forget I ever said anything."

She could feel Yusei's worried eyes examine her for a little, before his gaze fell to her scratched out homework. Carefully, he picked up the pen, scribbled something down, and stood up. From the corner of her eyes, she watched him stand, a sad, tiny smile upon his face. "Just let me know if you need anything. You're welcome to stay here, if you want."

"Thank you."

"And don't forget; we're your friends. We'll be with you, every step of the way." And with that, he turned back, grabbed his toolbox, and started working on the duel runners once again.

Quiet sounds of him testing out the engine reached her, and as she laid there, she repeated his words again and again and again, testing them for one reason or another. She laid the back of her hands on her eyes, the conversation they had neither satisfying nor comforting her in any way.

 _We'll be with you, every step of the way._

She smiled faintly. The words of a friend, who was willing to be there for her, no matter what the circumstances, matched with the same voice who had shielded her from the flames. She didn't need to say anything for him to understand; as long as he was there, she'd be fine. At least, that's what she would like to believe.

 _I'll be with you, every step of the way._

The words of a wonderfully crafted script, hiding behind a voice she was supposed to know, but couldn't comprehend.

She looked down at her homework, and saw a simple formula written neatly along the margins. There were directions on how to use the formula, the simple ratios she'd need to work out before getting it done.

"Yusei," she called out, as she lifted her hand out from her eyes, staring at the brightly lit, afternoon skies, the shadows growing closer with every second past.

"What is it?"

"I can trust you, right?"

She heard the noises stop from the background. At first, she could feel his shock resonate from the atmosphere. She could practically see the hurt on his face, before he brushed it aside, assuming the formula he'd written down was only for the homework. "Where's this coming from?" he asked.

She closed her eyes.

No.

That image didn't fit somehow.

Finally, she turned back, and saw the same amusement in his eyes. She couldn't help but return that amusement, as she picked up her pen. "I just wanted to get the right answer. That's all."


	33. Chapter 33

Jaden scanned through the document, his eyes quickly taking in every tiny detail. He lingered on the intricate penmanship, endeavoring to see some hidden scandal hidden beneath the facts, before shoving it away in favor of yet another possible dead end. With every move, he shifted from one file to the next, with a tiny, white trash bin sitting next to him filled with sheets of crumpled paper. He embedded the information in his mind, relaying it to himself quietly, as he turned up to the laptop setting beside him, surveying the screen for more relevant information. It wasn't long before he rubbed his eyes wearily, his impatience growing with each second passed.

Melancholic, evening rays poured into the once light-hearted room. He could easily feel the gazes of Alexis's stuffed animals boring his back, the shadows descending elegantly across their soft faces. Large, colorful quilts were splayed all over the floor, a testament to the illusionistic play his lover performed the other night. A few fairytale books were messily thrown toward the corner, the golden leaves capturing what little light was left from the weary day. The archaic letters stared up at the empty ceiling, and when he turned back, he saw the neglect filling its pages. After a few moments of silence, questions began filling the lonely void. When was their mistress coming back? Was she already grown up? No, that couldn't be; she's had them for the last decades. She wouldn't give them up so easily.

Jaden closed his eyes, trying everything he could to resist the urge to plop down on that comfortable bed, and sleep. As of this point, Alexis was with Sayer right now. No doubt she was was aiming on killing the guy, though of course, with the way he treated Aki, Jaden couldn't blame Alexis. In fact, he was a little jealous. Still, Jaden knew that if _he_ tortured Sayer, the man might just end up dying in the next hour; after all, he never really was merciful. Alexis was more suited to the task, which, of course, left him with the ugly assignment of looking through the government databases. Although it was, in his opinion, more useful than mentally destroying some child molester off the streets, in the end Jaden knew he couldn't do anything about it.

His fingers started flying across the keyboard, summarizing the reports Yusei might need. For the past few days, Raines hadn't called either Jaden or Alexis. The hospital fire was supposed to have generated some curiosity; maybe she wanted to write the article herself, without any help. Or perhaps she found something, and she was now trying to follow that lead. Maybe she just wanted Jaden and Alexis out of the way, so that she could embark on whatever nonsense she found herself in. From the way Aki described it, it almost looked like the woman wanted to terminate his internship. That was fine with him.

And yet, he couldn't get Raines's interrogation out of his head. What exactly happened, when they lost their memories? Was he and Alexis hospitalized, just as Raines said? Impossible; there was no record of their visit, no footage showing them going into that prison. Then again, Yusei did say he'd gotten rid of most of the evidence, so the files Jaden was looking at, could very well be remnants after the fires; anything that contradicted this evidence was forever lost in some pile of ash. But of course, they were all probably just footage of he and Aki escaping the fires.

As Jaden poured himself from one document after another, he couldn't help but stop, one article capturing his attention. Carefully, he moved his finger toward the article, and clicked on the icon.

 _The New Turbo King_ were the first words that flashed his eyes.

Jaden sighed wearily. Before long, he pulled up Yusei's alias, and scrolled through the contents. Some pertained to a mother and father, who were nothing more than posthumous pawns in the game, others to skills that never existed. And even still, a database filled with minor infarctions, all of which did little to resolve the issue of Yusei's actual identity. Jaden wondered how many people accessed this file, how many people were fooled into believing his story. Goodwin was one, and Sayer was another. Raines probably saw this already, so revising the file might cause her to dig deeper into the case.

Jaden remembered convincing Yusei, so very long ago, to come to Domino City, if only to see the Aki he knew today. He remembered how skeptical the guy was, how he kept ordering them not to go back, no matter how tempting it was. But even so, Jaden could see the curiosity in his eyes, the spark of devotion that everyone had long since familiarized themselves with. To be perfectly honest, Jaden didn't know if seeing the girl was going to be a healthy thing for him; even after all these years, he was still mourning for their Akiza. But for some reason, he and Alexis kept pushing Yusei to see her. It took a while, but they finally did it.

And that was seventeen years ago.

From the moment he laid eyes on that girl, Jaden already knew something was wrong, so very, very wrong. From the way she talked, to the way she laughed, to even how she teased Alexis; it was as if he was looking at the leader they all missed. She was like a ghost, who had sprung from the very depths of hell, if only to meet her friends for one last time, or even a memory from Alexis's stupid fairytale books, who came there to grant happy endings and evanescent dreams. There was an almost enchanting quality about her, an aura that drew the two to her, like a warm, tiny flame in the midst of frigid darkness. It was the same presence he felt many centuries before, and now, to think that it was here, standing right in front of him, inviting him in for another lovely, delusional moment in some faraway lie.

Yusei said there was no way Akiza survived, that fateful day. Their leader was already weakened from the assault. Originally, it was Akiza's idea, to attack Fallen's final major branch; she'd long since been at war with the organization, for fifty years, Jaden, Alexis, and Yusei had been following her orders in annihilating the cruel organization. Everything went well, even if they attracted a few unwarranted eyes. The assault was supposed to mark Fallen's finale, with the Black Rose coven blooming into dominance.

But before she could escape, the experiments came, and stole her away. Akiza was already weak at the time, so it was easy for the monsters to slaughter her. They tore apart her organs, and ate her heart raw, like they would any other monster would. It was a miracle Yusei even managed to get away, but by the time he'd turned back, Akiza had already died.

It must've been a tough decision, abandoning her like that. But then of course, Jaden probably would've done the same thing. And her end was so gruesome Jaden was almost happy she died early on, so she that wouldn't have had to suffer through the pain for long.

He could recall Alexis's agonizing sobs, the moment she found out. She locked herself in her bedroom for days on end, not even bothering to eat anything. Whenever she did come out, she'd always remain silent, unlike the vibrant girl he'd known. She refused to accept the fact that Akiza was dead, and even when she did, the girl was always trying to play up some edge to bring apart of her back, from rereading Akiza's favorite story, to talking to an imagined version of her when she thought she was alone. Those very delusions was actually the reason why both he and Alexis came to Duel Academy, to see if they could find some way to bring her back.

Of course, Akiza's death took a toll on Jaden too. She was almost like an older sister to him, a kind of mother figure he could look up to. Even when she dragged them all into her stupid stunts, he admired her bravery, her courage, and, at times, even her recklessness. She was always smiling in front of them, and never once did she find anything ugly in the life she lived. After countless of experiments died at her feet, the nightmarish fires shrouding her frame in hellish purgatory, she still kept her liveliness, her strong disposition of never giving into the insanity she'd caused. He appreciated her friendship, and it was through his fearful respect of her he obeyed her.

And as for Yusei…

As for Yusei Jaden knew how much he loved her. Though he would never admit it, Yusei would've followed her anywhere. He was her Queen after all, and when the covens started turning against her, her concubine. Yusei was her most trusted advisor; a friend, a lover, and an accomplice, all rolled up into one. He would've done anything she asked him to, even if it meant turning his back on even his own desires. Though of course, it never stopped him from reprimanding her.

Jaden smiled. He remembered once when Akiza and Yusei decided to accept an invitation from the other coven leaders. As usual, Akiza showed him off to all the other leaders, which, of course, earned her glares from all the other women in the room. It wasn't long before a brawl had erupted from the meeting place. By the end of the meeting, nearly half the covens were subjected to the Black Rose's rule, while the other half quietly shrunk back in their corners, not even bothering to get involved with the hopeless conflict. It was so funny, too funny, in fact. And when they came back home, Jaden had never seen Yusei look so mad. All the while, Akiza just sat there, and laughed.

So, seeing this girl now…must be incredibly harsh.

But Jaden knew they needed to investigate her. They needed to figure out what was going on, lest more people should die from their negligence. The very fact that the girl existed even now, from the leader he remembered, seventeen years ago was suspicious enough as is. So more than likely she might be with Fallen, and with that mark on her arm, it was plausible enough for Jaden to look into the matter further. It took him a few moments to shove back his affections for the girl, and look ahead, knowing full well what would happen if they waited a moment longer.

Still, aside from the whole Aki incident, there were a lot of things Jaden couldn't wrap his head around.

Even after Yusei explained the concept of the game over and over, Jaden refused to accept the excuse. Weaklings? Traitors? Even after the game had ended, there are still plenty more within the coven. Not everyone is as stupid as the candidates now, nor are they as ambitious. A countless number of times, Jaden has thought about it; sometimes, he thought the game was just a tribute to Akiza, that it was just Yusei's way of moving on. And initially, like an idiot, Jaden bought into that excuse. After all, Akiza liked having fun, right? And the way Yusei established the game, it was exactly the way she would've done it.

It wasn't until he and Alexis met Aki, did Jaden finally noticed that something was wrong. Unlike Akiza, who let herself be hurt over and over again, before striking back, Yusei cut down his opponents in one, single blow. There were times when he'd let them charge at him, would allow them to even strike a few blows, though in the end, the result was the same. He saw the disappointed scowl on Yusei's face whenever he killed someone, and it was through that, a disturbing thought occurred to Jaden.

Did he really want to die?

But then Jaden shook himself from the observation.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw the new dollhouse Alexis mentioned. It took the form of a tall, looming cottage. The deep, amethyst roof blended well with the dark maroon of the bricks. Tiny, velvet curtains grazed the inside, and if he squinted, he could see the silhouette of a faded doll, who was residing in the inside. His mind wandered from time to time, bouncing back from Fallen's current projects, to the mysterious woman he called Aki. He turned away for a brief second, then turned back to the dollhouse, that strange silhouette gazing at him so easily.

He couldn't help but wonder whose shadow that was.

* * *

Akiza jolted at the sound of her loudly vibrating phone. It scared her so bad she almost fell out of her bed, though before long, the annoyance came racing back to her. She blinked, as she looked toward the clock; almost six.

She sighed, as she rubbed her heavy eyelids. What's wrong with her? She's been tired ever since she got back from the garage. Normally, she'd be pretty lively by now, and since her parents were coming home soon, she'd be enthusiastically racing around the house, trying to get everything ready for them.

Well, it looks like she couldn't blame this on some medication now, could she?

So she sighed, and pulled herself out of bed. She picked up her phone, flicked it open, and pressed it against her ear. "Hello?" she asked.

"Hello? Is this ah…Akiza?"

She knew that voice. "Angela?"

"Yeah, sorry. Is this a bad time?"

"N-no," Akiza stammered quickly, as she sat up. "Um…how'd you get my…?"

"…You gave it to me, remember?"

Akiza sat in silence, her slow brain shifting sluggishly through the piles of what she made out to be reality. Though she was still confused, she nodded. "R-right," she said sheepishly. "Sorry about that. Anyways, what'd you want to talk about?"

"I just wanted to know if Jaden and Alexis are alright."

She chuckled lightly. "Yeah, I guess. Jaden's an intern at the station though, isn't he? Why don't you ask him yourself?"

"He hasn't been around lately, so I wanted to know if everything was alright."

Akiza narrowed her eyes. Not around? She would've expected that kind of thing from Alexis, but Jaden? "Don't worry; I'll talk with him about it."

"Thank you. There's…one other thing."

"What is it?"

She could hear the paper rustling from the background, as Angela tried getting a sense of her bearings. Akiza smiled empathetically; she'd seen Crow and Yusei do that before, as they were trying to sort the bills from the junk mail. The frustration she'd see on Jack's face was pretty funny, even though he never did an ounce of work. Her dad was prone to disorganization, and sometimes, she was too. "Sorry," Angela said again. "But anyways, have you heard the name 'Amaryllis Nite' before?"

Amaryllis?

She was about to say something, but as her lips opened, her voice froze in her throat. She couldn't say anything; the words were frozen in place.

Amaryllis.

"Yes," she finally answered. "But I don't know where."

"How about Nikolai?" Angela pressed. "Do you know him?"

No answer.

"Akiza?"

"Why?"

"…I think those two might've gotten into some serious trouble," the reporter explained, the concern embedded in her tone. There was a short pause, as if she were attempting to assess the situation, before continuing. "I'm just trying to dig something up so that I can help them later."

Soundless answers kept dredging up from within her mind. Something poured out from her brain, moments that she'd never seen, actions she'd never known before. And yet, all the same, she clung to the assumption she had a while ago, and merely smiled, imitating the memories entwined in her mind. "I get it. I'll keep an eye out."

"Thank you."

Immediately, Akiza' s gaze softened. Well, she was a lot more courteous than all the other reporters she's had to deal with. Even Carly paled in comparison to Angela's professionalism. "Keep going," Akiza said kindly. "Nikolai; that's his name, right?"

"Correct. According to my sources, he was involved with a criminal organization known as the Arcadia Movement."

She bit her lip. To this day, the Movement still haunted her; though she was grateful for everything they'd done for her, she knew what Sayer did was horrible. She took a deep breath, and kept on, unsure of whether she should voice her true thoughts. "Involved?"

"He's fueled millions of dollars into the Movement," Angela explained. "And apparently, he's got a lot of dirt on some of the higher officials in the government."

She tightened her grip on the phone. "I see. But why ask me about it? What's this have to do with-?"

"Because his full name is Nikolai Izinski, and he's got ties with the Senator."

She balled her fists. She's never heard of that name, and even if she did, it would've been just a passing. But as much as she hated to admit it, the entire idea was feasible, that her father had been using this Nikolai person to keep an eye on Akiza. But even that would contradict her past memories; he was never really involved with her in the past, even when she joined the Movement. "So you think my dad has something to do with him?"

"No, that's not it," Angela said calmly. "I personally think it's just an alias. Do you remember the series of murders from before?"

Realization dawned on her then. "You don't think the killer's been caught."

"No."

"What is it then?" she pressed, no longer idly sitting on the side of her bed. "What happened?"

"I don't," Akiza answered, trying to suppress the rising panic in her chest. "But how does this have anything to do with Jaden and Alexis? Were they-?"

"-connected with the Movement?" Angela finished easily. "They had aliases too. Christoph and Arisé Izinski."

* * *

She was well aware of what her doll was seeing.

Writhing, clawing, screaming silently in pain, all the while trying to calm himself down, trying to see where he was, what exactly she wanted with him. Eyes filled with delicious fright, followed by hopeless realization that no matter how hard he screeched, no one would hear him or, at the least, not anyone she knew. Shadows shrouded over his body, tearing away at his flesh, ripping away at whatever dignity he had left, as he pleaded that she let him go, that she spare him, and no one else. Did she want money? Or fame? Or a trench coat? Go ahead; everything was hers.

Funny.

Alexis leaned against the rusted wall, her hands neatly on her lap, as she sat there, watching Sayer dance to his drug-induced hallucinations. Her legs lay flat on the ground, the bare skin callously ignoring the tiny puddles surrounding her. Just a few inches away from her, were bottles of hallucinogens she'd grown fond of, along with antipsychotics Jaden developed, specifically for her. Contaminated needles were spread across in front of her, and when she looked down, she made out the smallest traces of rust coating the silver. Normally, she would've cleaned them before reaching out to yet another torture session, but since Sayer was a special case, she could afford to be lazy.

Right now, she was in an abandoned parking garage, somewhere in the old district of the Satellite. Aside from the occasional duel gangs here and there, Alexis didn't see much of anyone. Well, the Satellite was just being rebuilt, so it all made sense; what with the new cheap, _refurnished_ residential areas and all, and nearly half the district in construction, no one wanted to live in a dump like this anymore. Albeit a bit sad, Alexis still relished in her new, temporary park; no one would mind a few bodies showing up now and then. Sayer could even be the first.

Speaking of which, what was he doing anyways? She couldn't help but turn back then, an inquisitive smile on her face.

Gibberish mercilessly spewed from his lips, followed by pathetic cries that Alexis has already heard. Time and time again he's repeated the same sentiments, but of course, she ignored him. That's right; soon, this dose will wear off too. Maybe after this one, he might start talking.

"W-wait-!"

Yeah, one more.

She reached over and grabbed yet another needle. She then coated the tiny thing with her drugs, before she stood up, and walked towards Sayer. Before he could protest, she injected him with another dosage, not enough to kill him, but to ensure he suffered just as severely as he'd done for the past few hours now. She enjoyed listening to him; it was one of the things he could do to make it up to Aki. He hurt her, so he had to suffer.

Aki.

Alexis sank back into her spot, and stretched out her arms. Her bones ached from her stiff position, and though she didn't mind Sayer's begging, she still preferred the silence. By now, he's probably seen the rose on her neck, and judging from his expression, he knows all about Yusei. When he's on the brink of death, she'll save him, and annihilate whatever was left of his shattered self-esteem. She hated the way Yusei just let him go, so she's decided to remedy the problem the best she can. Turn him into an obedient mind slave that'd listen only to the leader of the coven, then string him to a building, and watch him dangle from there, or even have him gouge out his own organs, and let him gnaw at that for a while.

She closed her eyes, and gradually, began tuning out his incessant cries. She didn't like how Yusei talked about Aki; even if she was just another experiment, it didn't change how Alexis's saw her. Since she was nice and mature and everything, Alexis wanted to avoid getting her into as much trouble as she possibly could.

What was Yusei planning anyways? What was he going to do with Fallen? Alexis wanted to know, but she could never bring herself to ask him. She was afraid he'd just brush it aside, and ask her to do her homework. Either that, or there would be another assignment she would need to take care of, before anything else can happen.

Her eyes fell down toward Sayer, who was now beginning to fall silent once again. She cocked her head, as the failing light came away from the now cooling air; she remembered Yusei telling her about the Arcadia Movement. Though her memories haven't fully returned, she could still make out a few familiar moments. From what she remembered, he did decide to sponsor it, probably because Aki was in it. For what reason though, she'd no idea. Did he even meet her before he met Sayer? And what about all the psychics that'd gone missing? How was he planning on incorporating them into the coven? What benefits did taking the Movement on offer him anyways, aside from that fragile influence and the slew of backstabbers he needed to look out for?

She shrugged. It wasn't any of her business anyways. As long as he was happy, Alexis didn't really care. She'd only wished Aki wouldn't have gotten involved in this; if she hadn't, perhaps things would still be the same as before.

Just then, her phone rang.

Carefully, she dug the tiny device out of her pocket, and pressed it against her ear. "Hello?"

"…Alexis?"

Carefully, Alexis slid her gaze over to the unconscious redhead, who was lying comatose on the floor. She smiled happily to herself, before returning to the phone call. "Hey Jay, what's up?"

"What's going on? Where's Sayer?"

"Half-dead. I'm planning on playing with him for a few more hours."

"Well, when you're done, I need you to come back here for a sec. I think I found something."

She jolted up. "You tell Yusei yet?"

"He already knows."


	34. Chapter 34

His eyes were closed, taking in the softly lit rays of a barely seeable sun, hidden behind the sickly clouds from beyond the horizon. His elbows leaned against the metal railings, with what little flesh he had left taking in the cold surface. Eventually, the cold grew duller and duller, to the point where not even he could notice a single difference. He breathed in the scent of fresh iron, and sighed, unable and unwilling to shove himself away against the reality before him. Slowly, he gripped the railing with both hands, and leaned forward, the silence enveloping him completely. A forlorn smile danced on his lips, as he relayed the precious moments he's spent down on the ground, forgetting the witch's game, if only for a brief moment

He could see Neo Domino in all its tainted glory. There was a restaurant here, a cafe there, with a few hundred boutiques in-between. Hey, the game store; Outlast 2 was coming out soon, wasn't it? And hey, there's the new bakery, the one that opened up around five years ago; people keep saying that it's been around for a while, but to Salem, that was almost never the case. The girls working there were always new, always cute. If he stuck around long enough, they'd usually think he was homeless, and give him some bread so that he'd leave them alone. It was through that simplistic fact that he'd make it a point to go there at least once a week, if only to see some new faces, some pretty, others he'd rather not even touch. He was actually supposed to go there now, to get some muffins, or bagels, whichever was available today.

Salem sighed. But alas, he could not; one of the candidates was going to make a move today, and he'd be absolutely _heartbroken_ if he didn't get to see this. What makes it even more exciting was the fact that this candidate was aiming for that duelist first. Unlike everyone else, they've managed to set apart their own pride, and get the target when they're alone. It was a simple plan, sure enough, though of course, Salem still didn't know how they were going to do it. From the looks of things, a lot of people were going to be here today, so it'd be nearly impossible to find the girl in a crowd like this.

He ran his hand through his hair. Well, either way this was going to be fun.

He saw something in the crowds. He bit the inside of his cheek, and squinted his eyes. It wasn't long before he started chuckling.

The Queens.

And then he laughed.

He laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed, until his sides began hurting.

Seems the Black Rose hadn't lost his thorns after all.

* * *

Dark purple balloons lightly floated around the oversized ballroom. Bright, gleaming lights were covered with skull coverings and silk, with fake cobwebs descending down the columns. The light, brown tiles were covered with minuscule eyeballs, and along with it, streams of black and red paper that were thrust playfully into the air by a group children. Though the stalls were still being erected, already the empty silence vibrated excitedly with people who chattered on and on about Dracula, or Frankenstein, or the Wolfman whatever else came into their minds. Gothic art stalls were settled against the tall, nostalgic windows, the sunlight casting a dark, foreboding shade onto the crafts, while monster masks covered the tables with their unsettling smiles. If she stood there, she could practically see the subtly of happiness permeate from those scornful scowls she'd usually see on a daily basis.

Akiza looked around her, arms to her side, as she took in the atmosphere. She hadn't seen either Jaden or Alexis yet, and from the looks of things, everyone was still setting up. From the corner of her eyes, she could see the dark clouds gathering near the horizon, a testament of the loud thunderstorms subtly gathering near. It wasn't long before she looked down at her itinerary, before nodding. Apparently, a horror movie was supposed to show by the time the storm arrives, approximately at around eight or nine. It'd give the fans what they were asking for, and even if it didn't, it was a good way to pull some kind of prank.

"Akiza?" she heard a familiar voice ask.

She froze then, before turning around. Yusei. "Hey," she said, surprised that _Yusei,_ of all people, were here. "What're you doing here?"

He blinked, before a small, friendly smile came on his face. "Alexis invited me. Said I needed a break."

Slowly, she nodded. "Y-yeah, I agree. What about the others?"

Yusei shrugged. "Jack's sleeping, and Crow said he had somewhere he needed to be, so I decided to come alone. The prototype for the engine is almost finished anyways."

"That's a shame," she replied. "You know, Jaden's volunteering here, and Alexis said she was coming. I was planning on meeting up with them."

"I'll go with you then."

She returned his smile, as they began walking around the stalls, some of which have already finished setting up.

It's strange, seeing him like this; the more she looked at him, the more out of place he seemed, especially in a festival this big. Then of course, a lot has happened over the past few days; she felt like this too, after the war with the Dark Signers.

"So," she began awkwardly, as they strolled around the various stalls, "how's the air conditioner…never mind."

He laughed frustratedly. "Fine. I finally got him to go to someone else. If he doesn't come back to me by the end of the month, I'm the luckiest guy in the world."

She chuckled at the memory. "Sorry to hear that."

"You don't sound sorry."

"And you're right," she admitted happily. "What about the guys? Every time I stop by, they're never there."

"Jack and Crow are doing just fine. They still argue a lot."

Her gaze fell. Honestly, the very fact that Jack can't even hold a simple job was just…astonishing. She had no words for his stubbornness; both Crow and Yusei had to work twice as hard just to make ends meet, and what with the WRGP coming up, they've been busier than ever. Though he was a great duelist, in the end, it was his personality that might just cost them. "You know, I hear the bookstore was hiring."

Yusei snickered. "The Master of faster in a bookstore…no."

Akiza pouted. "I'm just trying to help."

"But I've got to admit. It'd be nice to see him slow down once in a while. We can't keep blowing up engines all the time."

She raised an amused eyebrow. "I know I'm not supposed to laugh, but…"

He grinned playfully. "You really are cruel."

Akiza smirked, all the while staring out at the crowds around her. The more time that'd passed, the more people arrived, some in costumes, others in plain clothes, much to the disappointment of the fans. There were characters she recognized, based on every single horror movie Alexis made her sit through, some she didn't, a result of Jaden probably taking away Alexis's precious movies. Akiza couldn't help but manage a small smile, gazing at the artificial darkness shrouding her.

Funny, how innocent they all seemed. No matter what they described themselves as, or how experienced they all were, everyone here bore the same, curious lights in their eyes. Childish lights, lights that were ingrained into her brain, never once bothering to let go of their tempting appearances. Cliques were already starting to form, friends gravitating toward friends, strangers eagerly calling out to other strangers, fans coming together to celebrate what seemed to be the darkest times in their lives. They all looked so at home with one another, never minding what the normals were saying about them; in this world of theirs, within the depths of their own delusional pride, this was the society they all looked toward, the very phase of quiet now swimmingly passing them with ecstasy. Akiza couldn't help but stare at them, as she regarded them all with even eyes.

A world that was theirs and theirs alone, endeavoring to tempt both sweet nightmares and dreams, all the while entwining truth and lies together. Memories upon memories being forsaken, brushing aside the pleasures of the real world, while drowning themselves in their sinful lusts. No one here ever bothered paying any attention to the stares they kept receiving, knowing full well the ridicule they'd receive in doing so, the disgusted glares that enticed the creation of their worlds to begin with. Who else could they drag down with them? Who else was willing to descend to their own, personal hells? Who were they? Friends? Family? Lovers from another time? Who could possibly have fit into their own, personal delusions, the endings abounding within subtle desolation? How long could they keep their beloveds there, as they pretended that there was nothing out of the ordinary here?

Her lips parted slightly, as her eyes traced down to their throats.

A black rose here.

A black rose there.

What was it again? A symbol of vampires? Everything mysterious and horrifying? Beautiful and ugly? Death? Mourning? Anarchy? Courage? Resistance?

Was it the only thing blooming, within a field of bodies?

Just then, she saw one, particular table, a few feet behind Yusei.

Slowly, she reached out, and grabbed his elbow. He turned back, a puzzled frown grazing his lips. "What is it?"

She forced out a tiny giggle, the facade easily coming back to her face. "A fortune telling booth," she explained.

Yusei stole a glance toward it. "What about it?"

"It'd be fun, to get our fortunes told."

He blinked, before shaking his head. "I don't believe in stuff like that."

"I might."

He smirked. "Really?"

She nodded playfully, as she tugged him along with her. She fumbled on with the conversation, all the while turning her attention to the table waiting for them.

Yes, it was a fortune telling table, and a very popular one, from the looks of things. There were already a few people lined up, just for the sheer curiosity of getting their fortune told by a complete phony. Still, they all liked to believe that the person was actually had the power to influence their future, no matter how false their predictions was. In Akiza's opinion, it was a fun little pastime that shouldn't be taken too seriously. If the person receiving their fortunes treated it any differently, they were either desperate, or extremely bored. It wasn't because of this speculation that she came over to the table; at first, she really did think about getting her fortune told.

What interested Akiza, however, was the chessboard resting next to the fortune teller.

The pieces were familiar to her, a testament to the rigorous hours she'd spent playing chess, either with her classmates, or with Sayer, or even with her father. It was a way she'd distract herself from the stresses of life, though of course, she'd sometimes use it to plan strategies in regards to dueling. Sometimes, she'd play by herself, imagining all sorts of fun, dangerous moves her imaginary opponent made against her, while other times, she'd just stare at the king piece for the longest time, pondering on the significance of such a weak piece. Even if the king was captured or killed, wouldn't the monarchy go on without him? If he ceased being competent, then someone else could as easily just replace him, right? It didn't matter what the subordinates thought; that was life, however harsh it may seem.

As she drew closer, she saw both sides, both black. She stopped in front of it, as Yusei strayed behind her, watching the others getting their fortunes told. Her finger hovered over the king piece, when she caught sight of a young girl sitting behind the table.

She had raven hair spilling from her shoulders, with endless black eyes, eyes that wallowed in a pitiful dark. She had incredibly pale skin, so much so that the black, Victorian dress she wore made it shimmer. There was an air of graceless elegance shrouding her. Her hands were neatly placed on her lap, as she returned Akiza's gaze. It took a few moments for the girl to respond. "Can I help you?" she finally asked.

Akiza immediately withdrew her hand, a slight blush splattered across her cheek. "Y-yeah," she managed. Her eyes flickered back down at the chessboard. "Is this yours?"

The girl followed her gaze back to the board, before smiling. "You play?"

"A little."

The girl stretched her arms, as she leaned against the table, a now competitive expression dancing on her once delicate features. "Just so you know, I'm really good at this."

Akiza felt Yusei's eyes boring her back just then. Before long, she heard his footsteps behind her. "I thought you wanted to get your fortune told."

"Something…else," she said. It wasn't long when she looked back up to the girl. She had a black rose too, it seems. Slowly, Akiza fingered her own throat, and asked about the rose.

The girl seemed surprised, before she relaxed. A forced smile came upon her lips, a smile Akiza could easily see past. "It's a new trend," the girl explained. "There's a lot of talk about that hostage crisis. Everyone thought the red roses looked really cute, so they decided to get the collars themselves. People thought black roses would look better, and I guess… it became kind of like a morbid fashion statement?"

"Huh," was all Akiza could say.

"Anyways, you gonna play or what?"

"How?"

"Hmm?"

"Both sides are black, aren't they? How will we know which ones are ours?"

"That's the fun of it," the girl replied happily. "You've got to keep track of your own pieces."

"So if I steal one of your pieces, you'd know?"

The girl's eye twitched. "Of course."

Akiza looked back down at the pieces. From the tiny reflections, she could make out Yusei's curious stare, as he came up to her side. The edges seemed sharper than usual, so much so Akiza couldn't help but dig through her own past, trying to find a place where she'd seen those sharp edges before. She saw everything within the tiny chess piece, and when she stared down at the board, she saw the tiniest traces of residue sitting there, ready and waiting for someone, anyone, to come, and take the poison. And from that same poison, she could make out the young girl sitting in front of her, smiling in anxious determination, as she impatiently waited for Akiza to make the first move.

It was then Akiza smiled.

"Akiza?" she heard Yusei ask.

Akiza shook off Yusei's question, as her eyes settled onto the girl. A world in which delusions would reign, where lies and truth entwined, sounding endlessly within a sinful symphony. A delicate balance between fiction and nonfiction, a place where only her own thoughts would reign, without anyone else's input on the matter. A clique where everyone gravitated towards, and with a common enemy they were all fighting against. Predictable but unforgettable, unpredictable, all the while vanishing within the midst of time.

She wouldn't know what to do, should she find a deviant.

"I'll go then," the girl said, moving the pawn two spaces in front of her king.

Akiza simply shook her head. "Sorry, but I'm not going to play."

The girl flickered her eyes up toward her, a triumphant sneer embedded on her face. "What's wrong?" she taunted. "You scared of losing to a kid?"

"You just don't seem all that trustworthy is all."

"How so?"

Akiza stared down at the board once again. "I can see everyone's reflections, in the middle of the board."

"And?"

"And you were pretty irritated, when I said I might just steal one of your pieces."

"Who wouldn't be?" The girl stated, a bit too defensively. "I mean, that's not really fair, is it?"

"So then why just one color?" Akiza pointed out. "Why not two?"

The girl huffed haughtily, as she folded her arms against her chest. "It's supposed to test how well you know your own pieces. That's it."

"How could they, when two pieces look exactly the same?"

"The position on the board."

"And what if even that isn't enough?" Akiza pressed, causing the girl to fall silent. "What if, just out of a single mistake, you forget who's who? What if, in a single moment of desperation, you start losing track of every pawn around you? Before you know it, you won't know who's a friend, who's a foe. You'll be surrounded by paranoia, with your own emotions eating you alive, your own strategies turning against you. You'll be helpless in your own filth, while you're struggling to find a way to try and, at the very least, regain some control. Just knowing where your pawns stand isn't enough to assert the fact that you're king."

Just then, toward the back, she heard screaming.

Akiza looked over her shoulder, finding crimson petals blossoming within the once innocent atmosphere.

* * *

Jaden stared down at the chaos, as he tracked the progress the newest candidate made with their own pawns. The bright flickering of the computer screen did little to assuage his fears, all the while watching the former members swarm the scene. Many of the people were already racing away, trying to get to safety, while others stood frozen in their place, unable to say or do anything that'd give them away. And yet still, there were a few who thought this was all just apart of the festival, and doing everything they could to calm their counterparts down. He couldn't help but laugh at them, though of course, in the end even they will realize this was anything but a game.

He only need switch to the other security cameras to find Alexis, patiently watching as the scene unfolds. Once again, she was in that same, white dress, carrying around the same weapons as she had for the past few days. He made out a small frown on her face, and when she looked over at a camera, that frown turned into a pout. He could see her pleading eyes, begging that she join in on the action. His eye twitched, annoyed at the idea of disregarding Yusei's orders just for a tiny bit of fun. But then of course, he could still see the appeal in her idea; after all, Jaden did need a break once in a while, and what better than that, then to join the fray?

From the corner of his eyes, he could see Aki and Yusei standing looking out at the would-be hostages. He made out the knight's skinny frame, as she fled from her table, knocking over the confusing chessboard in the process. He narrowed his eyes, as he zoomed in on her face.

Ophelia.

Yusei said she was probably going to use this candidate as a distraction, just so that she could kill Aki. If everything worked out, after Aki died, she'd spring to Yusei's defense and annihilate the candidates. Though it was, Jaden had to admit, clever, Ophelia would be on a very tight time limit. And besides which, if what Yusei said was right, it'd take longer than what Ophelia had allotted herself to finish Aki off. It'd give Yusei enough time to finish off the candidate, then come to her rescue, if he decided to. If not, then Alexis would be waiting, just so she could put Aki to sleep, and finish Ophelia off herself; neither Jaden nor Alexis were willing to let Aki die, at least, not in this game.

Still, how exactly was Yusei going to pull this off? There were already so many people here, many of which had no part in this plan, except to play unwitting lambs to the slaughter. Even then, that'd violate the ethics of the game. And also, why Yusei decided to make that announcement, that everyone wear black roses on their necks to get in for free…

What'd this have to do with anything? What exactly was he trying to show here? Plus, this incident was going to draw Fallen's attention. The fact that the Black Rose coven had, once again, attacked, is going to destroy what little cover they had left. People are going to see both Yusei and Akiza there, and unless someone decides to make the entire city forget what'd happened, it'd be hard not to connect the dots.

"This was your plan Yusei," Jaden muttered finally, as he anxiously watched the chaos unfold. "If anything happens, it'd be on _your_ head."


	35. Chapter 35

Neglect surrounded the empty corridors, with remnants of rubble scattered all over. Moldy corners were embedded within the darkness, along with small, eerie shadows scampering about, shadows he couldn't even begin to describe. Lowly, yet deceitful echoes resounded from within the black, as the animals scurried here and there, trying to stay out of sight. Broken glass covered the vicinity of the ruined, marred floors, and along with it, a shattered elegance that came from so very long ago. Just in the distance, he could see broken stairwells, all attached to elegant, iron railings, the dust already settling onto them easily. Cobwebs descended from the once ornate designs, and when he looked down, he saw the ostentatious designs the rugs on the floor carried, along with the ruin the debris managed.

Crow came into the lobby, and gazed up at the high ceilings, the sheer gracelessness of it all embodied in his mind. He couldn't even begin to imagine what this place looked like before, the ruins of the Arcadia Movement seared into his brain. Akiza used to be here, right? He heard from Yusei about what'd happened, and Akiza did talk about it for a bit, so he, at the very least, knew what was going on, or had a vague idea of it. Since the topic was personal, he never pressed. However, he didn't actual think he'd be here; the very fact that the leader had been arrested was grounds for forgetting this place completely. And it was hard enough to sneak past security, what with them patrolling the construction sites. So why here? What'd this have to do with anything?

"Mr. Hogan."

Crow flinched.

There Belial was, standing near the balcony, one hand against the railing, the other holding a plain, manilla folder. He wore the same, dark outfit when they first met on the Daedalus Bridge, though a more pristine, sharper gleam embraced his corneas. The same red rose was latched onto his neck, and though the petals were starting to wilt, it was still just as haughty and irritating as Crow remembered it. The man had an almost jeering smile on his face, a frightening arrogance that not even Jack would turn away from. Crow mentally fumbled with his words, before finally remembering why he was actually here.

Quickly, he eased his fears, and regarded Belial with even eyes. Whatever hesitation he had in his system evaporated, as he unwaveringly, he placed one hand on his hip, and gave the strange man a wary frown. "I came."

"I can see that," Belial replied, as he stepped away from the railings. Slowly, he descended down the stairs, the large, gradual echoes of his shoes grinding against Crow's ears. "Where's Mr. Atlas?"

Crow bit the inside of his cheek. "Busy."

"Funny," Belial continued, as he waved the manilla folder in front of Crow. "I figured he'd be more concerned, considering your histories and everything."

Crow clenched his fists. After he and Jack met with Belial, Jack decided the guy was an idiot, a pompous lunatic who had broken out of some nuthouse. Or, better yet, he was probably just another fanboy out to steal Yusei's title; as a result, the blonde decided not to pay any attention to him. He suggested that Crow do the same, and whenever Crow tried bringing up the subject again, Jack dismissed him. There was no way Yusei could've been there, he reasoned. After all, he was injured, wasn't he? And the way he walked past those kids…it must've been photoshopped. The reports say there weren't a lot of casualties, none of whom had involved children. "A trap," he stated confidently, before dragging Crow along and going back to the garage, only for the same suspicions to bombard them both over and over again.

Crow wanted to believe in Yusei, and, for once, take Jack seriously. But all the same, he couldn't get that haunting image out of his head. He couldn't wrap his brain around something as horrific as that, no matter how hard he tried.

What made the situation even more urgent as is, was when those two stopped by, just the other day. Those two were Yusei's friends, Crow imagined, but to him, they were still disturbing nonetheless. And the way Yusei had been acting, it didn't seem like he was bothered by them; in fact he welcomed.

Crow couldn't grasp it. The way that girl smiled, the glassy, dead look in her eyes; it reminded him of Kalin, of Goodwin, of all the Dark Signers he'd ever fought, and it terrified him. He felt a dark chill radiating from her, an inhuman aura that made his skin crawl, that made his instincts demand that he run away, as far away as he could. It was the same thing with the boy too. And just beneath his clothes, he could even feel his mark burning.

But even then, Yusei still decided to go with them.

Why?

As far as he knew, Yusei's going to that horror festival, so he won't be back for a while. He did ask Crow if he wanted to come, but Crow said he planned on working another shift, though that wasn't a guarantee. Well, at least he won't suspect anything. As for Jack, Crow waited until he fell asleep, and after calling his boss, just to make sure his story was straight, Crow took a deep breath, and left for the old Arcadia building.

"So," Belial began, reaching the last step. He stopped a few yards in front of Crow, with a coy light tugging at his expression. "What'd you want to know?"

Crow narrowed his eyes. "Don't play dumb. What does Yusei have to do with those hijackers? And the coven? The hell does _that_ mean?"

"All in good time. But first, I'd rather you tell me what you _do_ know, about any of this."

Crow bit the inside of his cheek. "Fallen, right?"

"Smart boy."

He clenched his fists. "And that's another thing; I can't find your group on any database. What's your story? Why should I believe you?"

Belial eased himself with a tiny smile. "Right to the point."

Crow forced himself to calm down, the urge to strangle the man already tempting enough as is. "Start talking," he said in a hard voice, taking one step forward.

"Now, now, no need to get so impatient," Belial replied, as both arms fell to his side. "You'll learn about everything tonight. First, I want you to come with me."

"What?"

"You do want to know what's been going on, don't you?" he taunted. "If you want to help Yusei, then this is the only way to do it."

Crow furrowed his eyebrows. "What's he gotten himself involved with anyways? If this is about the Fortune Cup-"

"I assure you, that has nothing to do with that," Belial answered, as he began leading Crow deeper into the building. "No, on second thought, I take that back." As he walked, he raised his arm coyly, the same, manilla folder in hand. "It has something to do with your marks, really."

"How'd you-?"

"I told you before, haven't I?"

* * *

Akiza grunted painfully, as she stumbled into Yusei's arms. A spark of confusion briefly flickered onto her face, before she shoved it aside, and peered through her bangs. She clenched her teeth, before spinning around, as one by one, the men came pouring inside. Black roses gazed back at her, the edge of their petals barely reaching the tips of their rifles. From the corner of her eyes, she could make out their positions, as they flooded the ballroom, blocking the doors, the stairwells, the balconies, anywhere at all that could've possibly helped the hostages escape. As they did, she could make out the hopelessness in the festival-goers', the desperation slowly dissipating.

When the chaos died down, the rampages ceasing, everyone just stood there, frozen in fear. Though some were defiant, a tense silence settled into the room. She could even feel Yusei tightening his grip around her, as he stared the men warily. She examined him for a bit, then turned back to the men; apparently, he had no idea this would happen either. A sharp pang bombarded her skull, and though she winced, Akiza never made a single sound.

The men simply stood by, as one by one, they came into the room. No doubt someone had already called the police, and with everything that's happened, it seems this will blow up in the headlines. But even then, the hijackers gathered all the hostages nearby, rounding them into a large circle in the center of the ballroom, with she and Yusei hidden in the middle.

"Come on!" one of the men screamed. "We haven't gotten all day!"

Akiza searched the ground for something, anything, that resembled a duel disk and a few cards. Despite her best efforts, even that, it seems, turned up empty. "Yusei," she whispered.

"I don't have mine either."

Well, now what?

She scrutinized the men, as well as the entirety of the ballroom. Surrounded, with nothing but windows to see in through the inside; if the men managed to get in here, there was a good chance they might've also gotten into the security room. And if that was the case, then there were practically no blind spots to hide under. Then of course, that was a really big "if."

They all had their guns directed towards the hostages, with a fearful, meticulous gleam in their eyes. They weren't smiling, nor were they very eager to face whatever consequences would result from this. But either way, it appears they all have a clear objective in mind, and from the looks of things, it wasn't to show off. And as she traced their roses with the lines of her eyes, she couldn't help but wander back to the mall hijacking, that fateful day, when she heard civilians calling the group "terrorists", "vigilantes", "murderers" even. It was then she shook her head.

No, this group was different.

A man stepped forward, someone around Trudge's age. He wasn't like the other men, deathly pale, with dark, ghostly shadows beneath his eyes. Rather, he looked normal, just like any other person off the streets. Caramel bangs swept across his eyes, his tan skin retaining some of the sunlight that was lost within the fray. A black, v-necked shirt hugged his torso, and with it, tight, worn out blue jeans, and sandals. An easy look swept across his face, something that irritated Akiza so very much; in fact, rather than a hostage crisis, he looked as if he were just going to a faraway beach. He raised his right hand, and automatically, the men lowered their guns.

When he was sure everyone's eyes was focused on him, he simply shrugged his shoulders. "Aw, c'mon, don't look at me like that. You'll make me blush."

Akiza scoffed, before turning away. Over Yusei's shoulder, she could see some other men swarming the scenes outside, trying to draw as much attention as possible. Already spectators were gathering, though as of this point, they didn't know whether or not the display was real, or just some sick prank a couple of horror fans were pulling. But all the same, more and more people were coming, some amused, others annoyed.

 _Crap._

The man turned sideways then, his orbs flickering briefly at Akiza, before sighing. "You know, you really shouldn't look away," he muttered.

A gunshot.

And a few seconds later, everyone was scrambling outside, trying to get away.

But even from here, she could see the mother, bleeding on the ground, with two, young kids, endeavoring to drag her away from the danger.

All the while, being trampled to the ground by callous bystanders.

Most of the hostages began clutching one another, the fear deeply entrenched on their faces. Some bit their lips, with clenched fists, as they stepped forward, trying to, at the very least, incite some remorse within their captors. Others could only shake their heads painfully, as they turned their faces away, knowing full well the victim didn't have much longer. And even still, some just stood there, mute, still stunned by the whole incident, by the fact that this was really happening, that this wasn't even a game.

Akiza turned her gaze to the ground. There was no use talking, if they were just going to fire away at the innocent. And judging from the man's easiness, either he was a really good actor, or just incredibly experienced, and already the "actor" part was fading away. His entire smile reminded Akiza of a coldhearted, mysterious sociopath, with little to no moral reasoning as to why he was doing this, what pleasure he was gaining from this.

She narrowed her eyes. But even then there was some clear objective here, a strategic goal that only he could know. Some of the festival-goers managed to get away, and the men never even chased after them. And rather than crimson, the roses were black this time, unlike their foppish comrades. From the corner of her eyes, she made out the roses on the visitors, before she turned back.

She could very well recall the chessboard that young girl showed off before, the defensiveness of her own actions when she told Akiza that she could easily track the pieces using their positions. Well, not a lot of good that'd do her; as of this point, all of Akiza's pieces were frozen, though there were a few hostages who were more than ready to pick a fight. At the same time, she didn't want anyone here involved, and what with the police coming in, things were bound to get more than just a little messy.

Still, the fact that Yusei was here with her was a bit comforting. Even now, he was calm, his own eyes analyzing the situation. A hint of frustration was splayed on his face, but other than that, he was emotionless. He already knew how dire the predicament was; she didn't need to explain it to him. And what of the other hostages? How would they be able to handle things?

Out of the question, she realized.

"Now that I have your attention," the man gripped, as he swirled back to his frightened crowd. That same, irritating smile danced on his lips, as he chuckled to the tunes of the hostages' terror. "I'm Sam. As in, the 'son of Sam'."

What the…?

"You're all horror fans, right? Get it? My name's Sam? 'Son of Sam'?"

"Idiot," Yusei murmured from beneath his breath.

* * *

Cold water ran down her face, as she tried getting a hold of herself. She gripped the sides of the sink anxiously, all the while shaking her head, attempting to sort out the situation in her head. She bit her lip, so much so she could taste blood coming from it. The distant sounds of running water reached her ears, but even then it wasn't enough to shock her out of the very fact that _he_ was there, with _her_.

Ophelia kept replaying that horrible scene in her head over and over again. He was there, right behind her, with that stupid frown on his face. She could see his disappointed scowl over that woman's shoulder, at the very prospect of Ophelia being there, ready to strike. She fought down a tremble, though she almost burst into tears right then and there.

She wanted to explain herself, as to why she was there, what she was doing. She wanted him to know that she, his loyal, faithful knight, wasn't there for him, only for the whore. She wanted so badly to tell him, no matter what the cost, no matter what trouble she'd gotten herself into, though even then, he might not have believed her. But even so, she wanted him to understand, even now, with everything that's happened. At the very least, he deserved that much, before Sam got to him.

Still, why was he even _there_? Salem said the Black Rose wouldn't be anywhere near the festival today. At least, that's what he heard from the Queens. And what about Sam? How'd he even know the witch was going to be there, considering Salem himself had no idea about the problem. He wasn't the type to just lie to everyone like that; after all, he was the gamekeeper. So how?

 _How?_

She closed her eyes, and turned off the faucet. With one, fluid motion, she wiped the water from her eyes, as her own trembling quickly vanished from her.

Either way, he's here, her beloved. Sam's got him and that whore downstairs, and since he doesn't even know that Ophelia's here, it's going to be even harder to separate the two. Initially, Ophelia was going to get the whore alone, in the bathroom somewhere, and drown her, though as of this point, she didn't think that was an option now.

Unless, of course, she did something to kill Sam.

Honestly, to think that man had the gaul to disobey her beloved like that. What'd he say anyways? Not to get the innocent involved? Well, what exactly was he doing? What was he hoping to accomplish, by outright killing that mother? Did he have some stupid philosophy running around in his head? Was he going off of some idiotic notion, that everything was sinful, that every human being on this earth had to die, since they themselves were cruel to their own kind?

She could hear the witch's laughter now.

But at any rate, it seems she was going to have to switch. There's no way she can hide now, since her beloved had already seen her, as that whore. She was just going to have to separate them in the fray, that's all. Yeah, that should work, shouldn't it? She was his knight after all, and she wasn't going to let anyone deter her from removing that woman from his side.

And besides, who knows? Maybe after all this is done, he might cancel the game. It'd take him some time to get over that whore's death, but he'll know that it was all for him. He'll know; he'll have to.


	36. Chapter 36

"What's going on?"

No answer.

"Where are you taking me?"

Still nothing.

Crow scowled miserably, all the while allowing his eyes to adjust to the growing darkness. Their footsteps echoed throughout the rusted corridor, though the sounds, along with the eroded walls captured only Crow's attention. The cool, humid air clung to his skin desperately, with soft, ghoulish howls resounding from the small, subtle breezes, giving way to frightful appellations only he would understand. He took in the almost haunting environment, before stealing a glance at Belial, who was just a few steps ahead of him. To his dismay, the man wasn't deterred by anything at all, from those pesky, irritating silhouettes, to even the slightest sounds that, unfortunately, scared Crow.

Still, Crow's eyes meandered to the manila folder in Belial's hands. Before long, he looked back up, and caught sight of a dim, nostalgic light up ahead. He froze for a single moment, wondering if he should even be here, when he heard Belial stop.

"Mr. Hogan," he called.

"What's that?" Crow demanded.

"A place."

"And what exactly _is_ that place?"

"Depends on how much you know." he replied, and with that, he turned back, and went towards that golden light. Crow stared at the empty space for a while, before following Belial, his nerves already scolding him for doing so.

A few seconds later, Crow found himself in another lobby. Unlike the rest of the building, the golden lights provided Crow with a horror that only golden lights would reveal. Red stains splattered the walls, with a suspicious black that kept embracing the tattered rugs with ugliness. Broken chandeliers covered the vicinity, and along with it, large pieces of rock that held fast to shadows Crow didn't want to even think about. The scent of iron coated his nostrils, so much so he couldn't help but ponder on the nagging suspicion as to where the smell even came from. From up above, he saw the unstable balconies desperately clinging to the walls, all the while threatening to fall on top of the grounds it once happily served. The entire scene reminded him of the Satellite, though even his darkest memories it didn't seem to fit the Arcadia Movement. Still, he managed to keep walking.

Then, he bumped into something.

Crow blinked, before looking down. A large, brown box lay at his feet. It was about the same size as the box Marco usually hauls on trash days. The lid was scarcely open. He regarded it for some time, before looking up at Belial, who had a coy smile on his face. "What is this?" Crow asked.

"Not yet."

"Look _pal._ I'm getting a little tired of your games-!"

"This isn't a game, Mr. Hogan," Belial said darkly, causing Crow to fall silent. After a moment had passed, the man sighed, and threw the manila folder over to Crow.

He caught it easily in one hand, and stared at the blank surface. Though he was hesitant, he still opened the file. His eyes scanned the tiny numbers and words, not even bothering to read the texts. But when he saw a familiar face in the file, he froze.

Yusei.

A dark, icy look entwined in his eyes, alone with a small, serious frown upon his lips, even more serious than Crow remembered. He was dressed in a black jacket, with a black undershirt and black jeans, everything black. There weren't any yellow highlights in his hair, something Crow had become accustomed to, and even from the picture alone, Crow could tell that this Yusei was…different. He was more emotionless, ruthless, not at all the stoic friend he'd known.

 _Nikolai Alteo,_ was written underneath the picture.

"What is this?" he repeated finally.

"I'm sure you're aware of the circumstances." Belial came away from Crow, and leaned against the rocks, folding his arms across his chest. "Fallen has graciously stumbled across one of its former soldiers. Yusei Fudo, I take it?"

Crow looked up incredulously. "Soldiers?"

Belial nodded, as his gaze turned to the box at Crow's feet. "That's right."

"What-?"

"Back then, your friend was a soldier in our ranks," he began, ignoring Crow's attempts at interrupting, "and a highly valuable one at that. In my eyes, he had all the respect in the world, and all the power to command it. He also had a lot of influences, if you will, strong influences that let him do anything he wanted. Of course, he never had the drive to abuse his authority, or the patience, for that matter."

Crow scoffed, as he closed the file. "I've heard enough."

"Oh? Aren't you curious about the latest incidents? And what about the trouble your friend's gotten himself into?"

"If you're gonna make something up, then-"

"I assure you Mr. Hogan, it's all real." Belial took a deep breath, as he straightened himself, a more, relaxed look now on his face. It wasn't long before Crow followed his gaze toward the box. "I want you to look inside. Consider it a wake-up call."

Crow regarded the crazy person doubtfully. This guy can't be serious. He can't just pull some crap like this an expect Crow to laugh it all out. Jack was going to wake up, and Yusei should already be back from the festival by now. Besides, if something was bothering the guy, he knows he could always count on Crow and Jack. This wasn't exactly rocket science. And he was even starting to feel really bad about being here! Maybe Jack was right; Crow was probably just an idiot for even listening to this guy.

So why?

Why was he still here?

He clenched his fists. He shouldn't be doing this. He had faith in Yusei. They were childhood friends after all, best friends, practically brothers. Raised in the same orphanage, by the same parent, they've faced a lot together. Kalin, the Enforcers, the Dark Signers, and even now, with the WRGP; anything they did, they did together. That bond was something no one can take away, and it was that bond Crow put up with Jack.

So he should move away. There was nothing to see here, nothing at all that pertained to anything important. The guy was just a lunatic, an escapee from an asylum from far away. There was no way any of this was real.

"Go on," he heard Belial say.

But for some, strange reason, Crow obeyed.

He crouched down, opened the lid, and shifted through tiny bits of styrofoam, his eyes searching for something, anything, that would confirm his beliefs. Soon, he felt a small, hard thing. He blinked, before digging through the white, only to jump back, horrified by his discovery.

A small thing lay in his view. Its infantile mouth was closed, the desolation upon its now still lips a testament to the abandonment it must've felt. Black, ugly blobs on it skin lay on its abdomen, its hardened flesh little more than rock to Crow. It had its hands curled up in its chest, its legs folding its body into a neat, little ball. All the hair had fallen from its wrinkled skull, the dried, blue veins softly invading its mind. Its oversized head proved devastating, the cracks in it emphasized by the messily done stitches attached to its skin. If Crow squinted, he could even see the ribs from the child's emaciated frame. The fresh scent of disinfectant bombarded the iron in the air, so much so Crow had to turn away.

"Horrifying, isn't it?" Belial asked, in a gentle tone. Remorse touched his voice, as he walked over to Crow. He sat down, and stroked the thing's cheek. "A calcified child, and one of the victims of the Zero Reverse."

Crow blinked, as he slowly looked at Belial. "You…you know about that?"

"Boy, Fallen knows everything. Or at least," he continued, as he stood up sorrowfully, "I'd like to think so."

Crow struggled to breathe. His mind swirled with millions of thoughts, his eyes widening at the terror. He tried getting a hold of himself, trying to take comfort that, at the very least, nothing like that would happen again. The children in the photographs took hold of his brain…

"Well?" Belial pressed softly, not even bothering to look at Crow. "Don't you want to know who that person is?"

"I…I-"

He fell silent.

"The child you see there, is none other than Yusei Fudo."

* * *

There were thirty four men in total.

Ten were watching the hostages. Fifteen were on the balconies, with their eyes settled on the crowds, both inside and out. Nine of the men are outside, guarding the ballroom and making sure no one got in. They all had guns, and were more than willing to fire at innocent bystanders. Sector Security was made well aware of the fact, when they saw the now dead mother lying in a puddle of blood, as well as two of her children, both of whom are being treated for their wounds. Judging from the shot, the hijackers were all driven, all willing to put themselves in the line of fire, if only to make sure that they achieve whatever it was they had in mind. There was nothing that could be done to dissuade them, nothing at all the stop them from going on with their madness. Akiza had witnessed that first hand.

And yet, despite that, she still couldn't help but pay attention to the roses around their necks.

The roses on the festival-goers, as well as the men themselves.

For what purpose did those roses serve? Was it because they wanted to defect from their former comrades, to try and distinguish themselves as a more serious, more focused group? Was it because they wanted to make sure that people don't associate them with the failed mall incident, to be reminded of the terror they had only begun to strike in people? No, it was more than that, so much more. There was something else they had in mind, something more than just getting attention. They weren't doing this to make a political statement, nor were they doing this to represent some kind of anarchist faction. After all, if that was their goal, they would've made an announcement by now about it. They've already gotten people's attentions with their stunts, but that wasn't it, was it?

The pounding had continued on. Though Akiza didn't let it show on her face, she tightened her grip on Yusei's arm, if only to try and compensate for the pain. Yusei, much to her relief, made no objection, and instead, shifted his weight, so that he'd be in front of her.

She heard Sam snickering quietly. "Well, judging from the roses, I'm sure you're all aware of who we are. If you aren't, I was planning on introducing us anyways, so no hard feelings. I am, once again, Sam, a Rook to the Black Rose, as well as a candidate for the title. I swing both ways, and I am a beast in bed."

"Idiot," she repeated, causing Yusei to chuckle softly.

"Okay, blah blah, introductions. These are my soldiers…right! Soldiers. These beautiful pawns are my soldiers, all knights. They will heed to my every command, and I am proud of them for doing so. Right men?"

No answer.

Sam twisted back briefly, brushing aside the intentionally awkward moment. He turned back to the hostages, with the same grin on his face. He walked towards them, with both hands behind his back. "Now that that's out of the way, let's get down to business. We're looking for the Black Rose witch. No, not the duelist, but rather, our leader."

"What the hell does that have to do with us?!" one visitor screeched.

"Funny you asked," Sam replied playfully. "You see, we got a tip from a pretty little bird, saying he was going to be here. I figured he was a fan of horror movies, and since you sick freaks know about us, I thought, 'Hey, one of these freaks might know where he is'."

"Well we don't!" another cried out. "So let us go!"

"Sorry, no can do. You see, even though I've attended all the meetings, I've still got no idea what the guy looks like." Sam stated happily. "So as far as I'm concerned, none of you are leaving."

"Bull."

Slowly, Sam slid his gaze towards Akiza, who was, as of this point, outraged by the monstrosities around her. A devastating quiet came over the crowds then, though an amused grin bubbled on the creature's lips.

It was that very depiction that made Akiza want to rip out his mouth, right then and there, in front of everyone. She wanted to hear that mocking laughter reach her ears, wanted to hear the suffering pains the man will have to go through, as he tries to assuage his broken pride. She wanted to make him go through the same intimidation he put everyone here in, as well as indulge herself in the guilty pleasure of watching him drown in his own sins. Her own mark had little to do with anything anymore; she didn't feel intimidated by the use of her own powers.

In fact, she felt vivacious, excited.

 _Impatient_.

 _What if, just out of a single mistake, you forget who's who?_

Sam smirked. "You really are a feisty one."

Ten surrounding the crowds. "You've got no right to hold everyone in here."

"Please, this is our way of saying we don't need that witch. Starting today, we're free."

Fifteen in the balconies. "Free?"

"That's right sweetheart," Sam said, as he leaned against the columns. He shoved both hands in his pockets, and regarded her evenly. "This whole thing, really, is just a game to the Black Rose. He's the one putting all your lives on the line, not us."

And nine outside. "But who attacked us to begin with?"

"Fair point," he replies. "However, that witch should've known this from the start. Think of it this way; you order a bunch of subordinates not to attack the innocent, but right after that, you're offering up everything you've ever owned, your wealth, your resources, all the respect and power in the world. And right after that, you've come up with a way for your subordinates to disobey you…Let me ask you, why on earth would they carry out all your other orders?"

They all have black roses on their necks. "So you don't care if everyone here dies? You're fine with becoming a mass murderer?"

Sam chuckled. "I've been a mass murderer."

 _What if, in a single moment of desperation, you start losing track of every pawn around you?_

Akiza scowled. "I have a hard time believing that."

 _Before you know it, you won't know who's a friend, who's a foe._

"That's the way of the world," he explained, as he shrugged his shoulders. "People turn against each other. The strong devour the weak; that's the natural way of things. You'll learn all about it, when you're older."

 _You'll be surrounded by paranoia, with your own emotions eating you alive, your own strategies turning against you._

"So then, this title," Akiza growled. "It's really worth the price of every life here?"

"It is."

 _You'll be helpless in your own filth, while you're struggling to find a way to try and, at the very least, regain some control._

"And this is all just some game to you?"

Sam clapped his hands. "Right! You got it! See, our witch told us, that if we could kill him, we can keep everything; the title, the money, the power, everything! See? Not so hard now, is it? Dirty, rotten monsters like us fight for these things, you know?"

"So…you think the Black Rose is here somewhere…"

"I am."

 _Just knowing where your pawns stand isn't enough to assert the fact that you're king._

Sector Security was outside, ready and waiting to come in. The festival-goers, as well as the hijackers, all have black roses around their necks. It's more than plausible to say that no one is in the security room, since Sam's suspicious enough to lay claim to the fact that the target is here, with the hostages. While it isn't enough to know if there is a blind spot, in the end that's one effective variable eliminated from the predicament. And even if all seeing eyes watching her moves, it's not hard to conceal just one tiny action amidst the fray. In fact, Akiza knew that if everyone started moving or jostling, even the most obvious of disturbances won't get caught.

The problem comes with the men outside. She already knows that the men won't hesitate to kill every single person here, and that would mean that the Black Rose witch would have more blood on his hands. Sam was probably one to disregard orders, and if he knew that the witch was here, watching everything, it would mean insubordination. If he was as hardened as Akiza thinks he is, that would mean the witch won't stand for something like this. While it's hard to reveal his identity, in front of this many people, it would mean she had an ally in him. But that didn't necessarily mean he was useful, in any way; after all, they were still trapped here, and to pick out the Black Rose from the crowds was as simple as finding Alexis at a train station.

Still, it wasn't a complete loss. Now Akiza knows where all the pieces are, on the board. Right now, Sam would be white, since he's made the first move. He's gotten everyone trapped, right where he thinks he wants them. The ones closet to the hostages are probably the nobles. No, the knights, since they have guns. Meanwhile, the ones on the balconies would be the bishops, since they're able to shoot from above. The people outside are the rooks; their shots alone are probably going to be the most unpredictable. And Sam stands, as the king.

But that wasn't right.

He doesn't have a gun, nor does he know what the witch looks like; in fact, he was about as blind as everyone here. Sociopathic, calm, and while he proclaims his men with an abnormal amount of praises, in the end, Akiza knew that he would disregard everyone's safety here, if only to get to the witch. So not only was he misinformed, but he can also get reckless, and, when the situation proved favorable, that would lead to his own downfall.

As Sam kept talking, going on and on about the cruelties of reality, of looking sideways to and from the inside of the ballroom, she flickered a simplistic look at Yusei.. His eyes met hers for a single, brief moment.

The ones at the front of the crowds, closest to the men, were going to be her strongest pieces. They'll grab the guns, and she'd force them back, away from the balconies, and behind the pillars. The ones in the middle are going to be more of an issue, since they can't get away safely. No, that's not right; as soon as they force the guards back, the ones in the middle will take advantage of the chaos, and hold those monsters down. They'll have to keep moving, but it'll give them time for the strong pieces move toward the balconies, ready to take down the gunmen. For the people outside, as soon as they see the commotion, Sector Security will barge in, and take on the gunmen from the outside. Everyone knew who Yusei was, so if they follow him, everyone can make it out, without anymore casualties for the day.

Yusei nodded.

She smiled warily, as the man turned around.

Sam moved when he wasn't supposed to. He thought, in this situation, his victory was the only thing that counted, and as a result, he let down his guard. He should've accounted for the fact that there'd be heroic individuals residing here, in this place, that there were people who were altruistic enough that they'd sacrifice themselves for a complete stranger.

The human heart, after all, was more influential than he possibly could've imagined.

She took a deep breath, and peered around her. Already the plan was circulating amongst the hostages. Though some were scared, others were ready, defiant, willing to make the people who killed that mother pay for everything they've done.

They, in other words, were her pawns.

* * *

Just separate them.

Separate them and everything will be okay.

Ophelia slammed her fist into the glass, ignoring the sharp sting on the side of her palm. It doesn't matter what her beloved thinks of her, at this point. Get that whore alone and everything will be okay. Sam probably doesn't even know about the new rule, so everything will be fine. That's right, isn't it? Shouldn't even matter.

Without hesitating, she pulled the alarm.

The loud, blaring sounds attacked her ear.

Along with wet water to hide her tears.

Then, in that same moment, she turned, and ran down to the ballroom, the gunshots and screams now blasting against her skull.


	37. Chapter 37

Crow sprung away, disbelief clouding his mind. Numbness erupted from his fingertips, with an uncertain ice descending from his spine. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead, as he stared down at the body in front of him, its fragile innocence torn apart by its premature grave.

No way.

There was absolutely _no way-_

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" Belial whispered, as he closed his eyes mournfully, the silence from his own resignation relayed in a small, simplistic frown. Though Crow didn't feel the man's eyes on him, he still managed to force himself to take a breath, the very instance of hesitation now completely gone from him. Gradually, his fears vanished, as he turned to the man. "No," he stated finally.

"You've been friends for all these years-"

"There's no way!" Crow shouted, his voice resounding through the empty corridors. He fought down a wince, though his tough exterior removed any traces of it. He couldn't bring himself to look at the calcified child, its image was already seared into his memory. He felt sorry for it, no doubt, and it was through that fact he steeled himself from its imaginary pain. To think that this…this _sicko_ managed to get something like this-

"I understand," Belial called, "how hard this must all be."

"Shut up."

"We've got samples-"

"I said SHUT UP!" Crow screeched, causing the man to fall silent. "I don't care what that _thing_ is! It doesn't have anything to do with Yusei! Why don't you just go back to wherever the hell you came from?! Zero Reverse?! Please! I've known Yusei my whole life, and-!"

"Nikolai Izinski."

Crow stopped, his own breath coming to a reluctant halt. "What?" he asked dumbly.

"I'm sure you've heard that name before," Belial said, his eyes dropping down to the file in Crow's hands. His gaze lingered on it for a while, before he looked back up. "No, as a matter of fact I'm sure you know the name. You saw it once, in a box filled with pills, delivered to your doorstep. Right after the mall crisis, I take it?"

"How'd you-?"

"A pair of students, a boy and a girl, who came by, if only to say hello. To Yusei, of course; I doubt they even know _I_ exist." he said, keeping on with his observations. The man leaned against the pillar once again, now laying claim to Crow's attention. "A hostage crisis, where only your friend knew what to do, in the midst of the terror, and the confusion. And a string of murders, all of whom were part of higher society, a society in which, I might add, was filled with corrupt bureaucrats. And now, a strange man comes in, and tells you he knows what happened. Repeating the incidences over and over again, all the while proclaiming everything, every single thing, is linked to a single point, known as the Black Rose coven."

Silence came between the two, like an unpleasant, oversized obstacle.

Jack's flimsy excuses disappeared from the moment the quiet echoed throughout Crow's ears. His past worries, the friendship he shared with Yusei, and even their fights against the Dark Signers; all of it, gone, as Crow turned back toward the stranger's solemn face. His eyes fell to the corpse of the child, who was lying, cold and alone, in some ruined, rusted box. His lips parted, the confusion refusing to leave his brain, though still, he kept hold of his senses. He bit the inside of his cheek, and slowly brought the file to his face.

But even then, he found himself hesitating.

"How?"

Belial blinked. "How what?"

"How do you know all of this? And don't give me that crap about Fallen knowing everything."

He regarded Crow for the longest time. Then, after a few seconds, his orbs fell to the ground, with a nostalgic smile on his face. That emotionless mask came over his expression once again. "There are…people, who are worried about him."

"People?"

He nodded.

"Can't say anymore?"

"No…unfortunately. I can't."

Crow looked up defensively, with one finger in-between the covers. "And why's that?" he spat.

"Family issues."

"Oh? So you're…what? Long lost brother or something? Cousin four times removed?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that."

Crow scowled at Belial, though even that soon faded. Carefully, he turned back to the file, not even beginning to stop and ponder on those fragile bonds he wanted to treasure. He took a deep breath, and opened the file.

The first thing he saw was Yusei's photo, and that same name bombarding his vision over and over again. He fought down a shudder, and continued on, this time, taking in those tiny, minuscule words, along with the numbers that, of course, made absolutely no sense to him. He squinted, trying to read within the growing darkness, as Belial stood there, watching him. Crow narrowed his eyes, and turned away, wasting not a single effort in hiding his disgust against the stranger.

Slowly, his eyes traced over what little information there was in the file; birthdate, unknown, age, unknown, height, weight, breathing capacity, estimated death, AoI, all unknown. Relations, Christof.

He stopped.

Relations; Christof Alteo, AoI, 15. Belletrix Alteo, AoI 27. Meredith Alteo, AoI unknown.

He tightened his grip around the edges. "The hell are these people?" he finally muttered.

"Siblings," Belial answered easily. "They don't have the same parents, if you're wondering. At best, they're all half-siblings. AoI stands for 'Age of Immortality', and with the exception of Meredith, every single child had matured beautifully."

Doubts began swarming back into Crow's head. Before long, his eyes flickered up, sarcastic surprise etched on his face. "Immortality?"

"Correct," he said, ignoring Crow's half-hearted response. "Fallen was, as the name suggests, obsessed with the supernatural; vampires, witches, zombies, practically any monster you can think of. Though the organization itself wasn't the first to fill humanity's imaginations with the horror, they were the ones who stimulated it. Personally, I believe that the founders were dreamers, who thought they could push the boundaries between reality and fiction. They've experimented and experimented, drifting from one fantasy to another, until finally, they came up with a brilliant idea."

"And that was-"

"You see, despite all the monsters available for their use, and despite the fact that they had an arsenal of imaginative thought, the only creature they were truly obsessed with…was the demon.

A devastating pause demolished whatever normality Crow felt was in the atmosphere. He couldn't move, couldn't say anything, as he repeated the word in his brain. He tried finding any traces of playfulness in Belial's face, only to fail each and every time. Meanwhile, Belial turned away, empathy shrouding his features. "I'm sure you've heard of one," he finished lamely.

Crow tore his eyes from Belial, as he scrutinized the man in the photograph. He could feel his shaking ebb away, as he tried wrapping his head around the notion. "And these people, _Yusei,_ was…was a-"

"Demon."

He gritted his teeth. "And why's that?"

"I told you before; to push the boundaries between reality and fiction. For example, the sign you have now," Belial said, as he pointed to Crow's mark, "is a testament to Fallen's research."

Crow looked up. "The Crimson Dragon was _your-"_

"That's right. That dragon was a product of our hard work. It was a monster that we created in order to protect humanity, and it was through that dragon that we've succeeded. You've beaten back the Dark Signers, didn't you?"

"So wait; Goodwin, Lazar, Sector Security and the Satellite…that was _your doing?!"_

Belial bowed his head. "We've already had soldiers lined up to take down those Signers. Unfortunately however, somehow Iliaster managed to sink their claws into the dragon, and steal its power. By the time we realized it, you and Mr. Atlas were already involved. Let me apologize, by the way, for getting you all caught up in all of this."

"A little _late,_ don't you think?" Crow hissed. "And what about Yusei?"

"That's just it; Nikolai was originally going to fight them on his own."

"You're saying that…that Yusei was one of _your_ soldiers?"

"No. He was _the_ prime soldier. Under the command of his sister, Belletrix Alteo, he would've ridded the world of the Dark Signers. After that, he would maintain the world structure with her, as her second-in-command. He would've been an asset to Fallen, not just as another leader within the system, but as general, as well as an influential political figure."

Crow narrowed his eyes. "Then where'd the Dark Signers come from? What are they, exactly?"

"Runaway experiments," Belial stated, causing Crow to scowl. "It was an energy we couldn't maintain, so we sealed it away. That energy came into direct contact with the Satellite. Goodwin used that energy and infected the people who would become known as the Dark Signers. In other words, we sent Nikolai to contain that energy."

"Then what happened?" Crow asked, afraid to look down at that picture once again. "Why'd he end up here? How'd he become-?"

"That's what we want to know," Belial admitted. "During Fallen's rise, there was a group, a coven, if you will-"

"The Black Rose."

Reluctance permeated through the air, though in the end, Belial nodded, shamefaced. "That's correct. The Black Rose coven was a terrorist organization that had taken out a dozen or so more of our branches. They were the reason why we weren't able to mobilize in time to fight the Dark Signers. In fact, the reason why you were able to fight the Dark Signers, was because the coven got to Nikolai before we could. And as a result, he became the person you know today, as Yusei Fudo."

"That's impossible."

Belial cocked his head. "And why's that?"

"Because I _know_ Yusei," he said vehenemently. "I _remember_ him. The Yusei I know grew up at the orphanage, with everyone else, with me, and Jack. We were always together, no matter what happened. You can ask anyone. Even Kalin-"

"We can't."

"What?"

"I told you about the coven's interference." Belial said carefully, as he walked toward Crow. He took the file out of his hand, and shifted the papers carefully, until at last, he came to a specific section. Then, without hesitating, he pushed the file back to Crow, and, with one finger, pointed out that name. "Well, _this_ is one of them."

 _Nikolai Alteo._

Crow batted the file away, causing the papers to scatter all over. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Memories are a funny thing."

Crow clenched his fists. "What're you _talking_ about?"

"Exactly what I said before," he answered, his arms falling limply to his side. "Memories can be rewritten, erased, anything that your heart so desires. As long as you've got the right…arguments, we'll say, the coven members can make you see anything they want you to see."

"So you're saying that everything, _everything,_ is fake?" Crow asked then. The idea was out of the question. There was no point, none at all, if…

If…

Belial smirked emptily. "Yes, I know it's hard to believe, and we're still working on that. You see, members of that coven were made up of former experiments, _our_ experiments. There are a lot of new faces that I don't know, but some familiar ones that I do recall remembering. Then, of course, there are the nobles…"

"Nobles?"

"Yes," he explained quietly. His eyes fell to the corpse in the box, but before long, whatever forlorn sadness he had now fell from his face, and instead, replaced by a formality, one Crow knew neither how to deal with nor explain. "The Black Rose coven is part of an aristocratic world, similar to that of Neo Domino. Corrupted, tainted, sinful in every sense of the word…"

Crow narrowed his eyes. "What'd you mean?"

"Exactly that," Belial said quietly. "There are various covens within that world, covens that exist solely for the purpose of destroying one another, of guarding their allies. Think of it like Sector Security against the Satellites, or big time politicians who threatened to tear each other apart piece by piece, without the slightest of mercies, or even the duel gangs hidden within the old Satellite. It's a political battlefield, and everyone looks out for their own, no matter how dire the situation is."

Crow clenched his fists, remembering the painful moments of when the Enforcers were trampled over by Sector Security, of when Kalin was dragged away by the officers. "So that's all that is? A 'dog-eat-dog' world?"

"That's right."

"And the nobles?"

"Are the leaders of that world," Belial answered easily. "The nobles are coven leaders who cultivate that sense of ruthless competition. They are the ones who make the laws, who enforce them. They can execute whomever they choose, can destroy anyone they so desire, just as long as it's within their power. The nobles rule over the covens with an iron fist, and the only ones they yield to are those that are stronger than they.

"From what I can understand, social stratification is utilized by titles. The most powerful coven leader is called the 'king'. The second-in-command is the queen, followed by the rook, then the bishop, then everyone else. It's like chess, in that sense."

"What's Yusei then?" Crow demanded. "What's he?"

Once again, those dark, soulless eyes trained back to Crow. "Isn't it obvious? The king, of course."

* * *

Blurs of shapes flew past her.

Bullets reigned ahead of her.

And soaking water drenched her to the core.

Her eyes scanned the flurries of footsteps messily splayed around her. An array of puddles were scattered around her, the once dark, morbid decorations so valiantly floating through the air now trampled on the ground. Vain shouts swarmed her ears, as they ran towards whomever was nearest, whether that be the gunmen, or other pieces. Murderous insults glistened within the ballroom, the tension boiling over to a pitiful, helpless plea, as, one by one, the gunmen were apprehended, some by frightened, desperate victims, others by heroic, bold citizens, most of which had too much time on their hands. Akiza only had to look back, to see all her pieces in play; Yusei was nowhere to be found.

She hadn't planned for this, to be perfectly honest. Though somehow, the crowd managed to take control of the chaos, she still couldn't understand how it came to be. Perhaps someone came in and caused a distraction, enabling a few officers from Sector Security to run in ahead. Maybe there was someone who wanted to have a bit of fun, someone who didn't understand the severity of the situation. In any case, it was more effective than Yusei putting himself in danger. That, at the very least, was something she can take comfort in.

She gritted her teeth, as she raced ahead. The second wave was moving. The first attackers were already making their way towards the balcony, trying to expertly avoid the bullets, all the while grabbing the attention of the outsiders, all of whom were now roaring in outrage. Sector Security was handling the men outside, all the while shoving other innocents back, knowing full well what would happen if the protests took advantage. She could hear bullets reign from behind the glass, could feel their many eyes boring her back. Still, she shrugged it aside, in favor of the calm monster standing before her.

He had that same, irritating smirk on his face.

Without thinking, she charged at him. She bit her lip, as he readied himself, his eyes scanning her movements. She kicked off her heels, and hurled one into her hands. Then, in that same moment, she threw it at his face, watching him as he charged right back at her, catching her heel with his left hand. She ducked beneath his arm, grabbed his side, and clawed at his side. Three, horizontal marks were left on his skin, the crimson lodged between her nails. She threw herself back, and was about to come toward him again, when, all of a sudden, she felt herself forced aside. Her back slammed against the hard wall, a sickening _crack_ reaching her ears.

All the breath was forced out of her body. A soundless cry escaped from her throat, though she managed to get herself up, if only to dodge another unseeable attack against her. She narrowed her eyes, as Sam raced to her, a happy, sinful smile gleefully planted across his face. The very same black rose grazed her vision, the bleeding consequences easily embracing her mind. She clenched her fists, her attention turning away from her pawns. Then, in that split second, she stood.

A sharp sting cut her cheek. She felt her head throbbing against her skull, her brain conspicuously falling before the darkness surrounding her vision. She squinted her eyes, as, unknowingly, her body went from side to side, her dark, golden eyes peering from her bangs. Her nails outstretched, she felt herself burst forward, running with all her might. Her pupils dilated, as she took in more and more of his movements, the tension building in his muscles, the pride instantly dissipating from his face, as he tried analyzing her actions as she did his. And, in that very same moment, she dodged yet another force, knocking the energy stabilizer from her hair.

She held her breath, as she stole below his arm. Once again, she aimed for his side, her nails ready and willing, all the while feeling the burst of power succumbing to her own will. Her bangs fell towards her eyes, as she knocked him away, the pressure of her thoughts against his slamming into each other like an unwelcome alarm. She fought down a wince, moving herself forward, trying to position him so that he'd be in the gunmen's way. From the corner of her eyes, she made out the many civilians already racing toward the balconies, that same, daring disposition radiating from their frames.

Her head slammed sideways, and yet another blow dug itself into her stomach. She bit back an agonizing howl, as she dug her fingernails into her wrist. She doubled over, but managed to catch herself. Then, without thinking, she forced him back, imagining his skull twisting within his cervix, dancing to the tunes of her own, malicious desires. And as she did, she could hear every bone in his body crack, the majestic symphony of it all coursing through her veins. She relished in it, knowing full well how much she needed such a thing. Before long, she closed her eyes, though her body drew closer to her assailant, not even bothering to watch over her pawns.

She hummed as she pictured each vein within his body, flowing with an inhuman warmth she neither knew nor could understand. A familiar annoyance ambushed her mind, and without knowing, she drained his body of that warmth. She pictured ever drop of blood spilling, his own limbs cracking beneath the weight of her will. She tore apart every artery, every ventricle within the contents of his heart, and silenced each pulse that dared beat without her permission. From there, she felt her fingers wrapping around those tiny, delicate nerves, slowly suffocating their signals until, at last, the vivacious potentials died away, leaving only stillness in her wake. She could feel her claws worm their way into his lungs, puncturing and crushing every little arteriole her nails could touch. She could feel herself digging into the small holes, tearing away at the capillaries, stealing all the breath in his body without the slightest remorse in doing so.

She could see his body, lying crumpled before her, dissolving in an array of stomach acid, fading within the glimpses of ash as she burned him alive. She could see him withering in pain, pleading loudly that she end it, that she behead him, or shoot him in the heart, or anything else that would've ended in painless silence. She could see herself standing on top of him, pondering on the suggestion, before rejecting it completely, as she began breaking every bone, severing every limb, all the while making sure that he was awake to witness it. She could see herself laughing at his begging, at his pathetic groveling, as she scolded him so very childishly. She could see the shock in his eyes, as he took in the witch in front of him, the cruelty shrouding her aura in a veil of black and white.

His decadent prayers, mixed within a field of corpses; a darling combination, that was only used for her entertainment.

Pitiful.


	38. Chapter 38

Jaden could only stare at the screen, attempting to sort out the gruesome scene. Cold sweat came down his forehead, a quiet trembling resonating through his frame. After a few moments in silence, slowly, he halted the footage. Carefully, he maneuvered the mouse, hitting the replay button over and over again. He immersed himself in the blank face Aki held fast to, to the eerie calm she assumed, to even the almost sickening way she annihilated her assailant, imaginary sounds of whimpering and pleas echoing in the back of his brain. Disbelief ingrained itself in his brain, and soon, he thought back to his brother's suspicions, the unholy prospect of Aki's identity bombarding his senses. He bit his lip, trying to look for Yusei through the commotion, only to end up failing.

No.

No, he shouldn't even be _looking_ for Yusei right now. Sector Security is apprehending the rest of the coven members, and from the looks of things, they're almost finished. Yusei told him to let Trudge have them for his worthless interrogations. The information was false anyways, and since they sided with Sam, in Yusei's eyes, they weren't of any use. They were weak, but rabid, traitors that needed to be put down, purged from the ranks of the coven. There was no reason for Jaden to keep them around. As for the remaining members in the ballroom, Jaden would have to leave the bodies there too, for the public to find. All that's left was to get out of here, with Aki in tow.

But where was he?

Why weren't they coming out?

Jaden clenched his fists. It was his job to distract Sector Security, and though he's doing everything in his power to keep them at bay, soon, even his hold will shatter. They didn't have time for this! Alexis was still waiting, wasn't she? She needed go get over there, and get both Yusei and Aki out.

Just then, he heard his phone vibrate.

He jumped in his seat. He regarded the tiny thing for a few precious seconds, before regaining his senses. He pressed the device against his ear, his eyes widening at the silence in the background. What's going on? "Yusei!" he shouted. "The gunmen are almost finished-"

"Can you stall them for a bit more?"

"W-what?"

"There's something I need to take care of," he said icily. "You and Alexis distract them, until I give the okay."

Jaden blinked.

He stole back toward the screen, the coven members all seemingly dead, in his eyes.

"How long?" he finally asked.

"Five more minutes."

He clenched his fists. "What's going on down there? What happened to Aki? What about the candidate?"

"I'll take care of them."

* * *

Ophelia gripped the handle of the ballroom door, her eyes combing through every single being, dancing pathetically within the room. She scowled at her fellow members, all of whom were struggling against society's own little puppets, losing respect as they did _._ All the while, she made out Sam's writhing figure, his hands twisting agonizingly around his heart. Before long, she fixed her gaze at the whore standing on top of him. Her lips parted, as she bore her eyes at the whore's back.

Then, with a single smile, Ophelia slid the cracked glass open.

Reigns of bullets assaulted her ears. She pressed her hand against the cold, as one by one, the power resonated through the air. Footsteps enamored around dancing scarlet, as the evening procession of lights softly caressed the violence around it. Gleeful laughter embraced the atmosphere, the iron engulfing whatever immaturity was left, turning its purity through the consistency of gunpowder and curses. Her eyes widened at the seams, before shaking away her sinking suspicions.

Her beloved would never lie to her like that; that woman wasn't anything special. And without her duel disk, she was nothing but an imitation, an insignificant presence in a torrent of idiocy. This power was probably just from Sam screwing up. She breathed in a deep, relieved sigh, then threw herself into the battlefield.

As of this point, not getting the innocent involved will be a bit of a challenge. Sector Security will come barging in any moment now, and what with those idiots still fighting, it seemed the scene will be unpleasant, at best. She needed to act fast, and, if need be, kill all the witnesses.

Yes, her beloved won't object to that. Everyone here has already seen him, thanks to that douche. There's no way she was just going to stand by and watch the normals haul the witch away. He'd forgive her, right? Just this once.

But why?

Why isn't she getting closer?

Her legs were drawing closer and closer to the whore, weren't they? She could feel the forceful air against her face, with blurred shapes passing by her. She could hear bullets whizzing past, missing their targets over and over again. She could even feel a few eyes boring her back, their instantly angered expressions now far removed from the world.

"Ophelia."

She froze.

Icy blue eyes regarded her coldly, and though Ophelia shivered, she adored them. A tiny frown tugged at his lips, and while he was dressed in that peculiar way, she managed to brush it aside. Her eyes meandered to his throat, and caught sight of that familiar, black rose she knew was real, not like the withered blossoms the other candidates simply made on their own. At an instant, she smiled, and bowed.

He's happy.

He's happy _she's_ here.

"Sir," she whispered.

"What're you doing here?"

She straightened, as she hugged her hands to her chest. "Don't you remember?" she asked, the heat frustratedly plastered on her face. "Y-you said that…that we needed to kill the two of you, in order to take the title."

"And?"

She clenched her fists.

This was it.

 _This was it._

"I don't want you to die."

She could feel the shock on his face as she said it, her feelings laid out for him to see. She was trembling, shaking, her breaths becoming more and more uneven. She could hear her own heartbeat pounding against her skull, her thoughts growing more chaotic by the second. Still, she forced down her reluctance, closed her eyes, and said, "I love you."

The conversation played out then. _What?_

"Sir, I…I have special feelings for you," she stated quietly, as she looked back up. "I love you, more than you could possibly know."

 _O-Ophelia-_

"T-that's why…!" she continued, fighting for her own breath. "I won't let anyone kill you! Sir, you're so much better than that! Why are you risking everything, just for one single woman?! You can do anything, _be_ anything you wanted to be! I…I've always loved that about you! So please, please stop this…!"

She could feel the tears running down her cheek, the sheer desperation in her voice clouding her mind. _Ophelia, calm down-_

"I can't calm down! Sir, I'm in love with you! Please, stop this! Whatever you're doing this for, please, just stop!"

"It's none of your business."

"It is! It affects everyone, not just you sir! You, your Queens, and every member! You're putting a lot of people in danger!"

 _I can understand your concern, but please-_

"T-that's why," she continued, as she forced herself to try and keep calm, "I'm speaking to you now. As your knight!"

"I didn't ask for your opinion."

"Whatever that woman means to you, there's nothing left! Please, stop this, before you end up killing yourself! You don't have anything to prove!"

 _You really are stubborn, aren't you?_

"I'm begging you sir, please stop this nonsense."

 _Please don't cry._

She clenched her teeth. "Sir…"

Through the bullets, the screams, Ophelia could only stand there, waiting for the silence to pass. Here she was, trembling, shaking like a child. She couldn't move, couldn't even breathe, as she awaited for the words of her beloved. Everything she had spoken now, every little lie she'd told herself, had fallen apart, from the moment she talked with him, and for the very first time too. She was afraid, afraid of what he was going to think, afraid of how he was going to react to this sudden confession. But as of that point, she didn't care if everyone else saw; she was going to tell him, then and there. It didn't matter if she was labeled as incompetent, or insubordinate; she knew he'd never do such a thing. He was kind, and gentle, but proud all the same.

He was the kind of man she expected him to be.

She heard him draw a deep, low breath. "Ophelia."

Though she was frightened, she looked up. "S-sir?"

"You love me. That's what you've said, isn't it?"

She took a frantic step forward. "Of course."

"And you want me to stop this _nonsense_ , is that right?"

Her tears were blinding her. "Y-yes!"

Just then, she felt a sharp pang, deep within her chest.

Her eyes widened. Her hands were still holding themselves, the tension carelessly drawn up towards her own heart. She could hear a quiet, agonizing scream, towards the back of her mind, as she replayed his words over and over again, in her mind. And all the while, as she took in the violence shrouding her own, wishful love, lips trembling, the utter look of betrayal on her face, her beloved stood there, with the same face she's always seen. From his hand, she saw the slightest traces of a gun, one soaked in black and red.

Her weight had buckled beneath her. The shock was still painted on her face. She tried opening her lips, tried questioning her superior, tried anything at all that could show him she was still dedicated to him. But when she did, only scarlet erupted from her mouth. Her body slammed against the hard floor, the cold, metallic surface now enamored with the bodies of her own, fallen comrades. She could hear that familiar hum, the power resonating from within the ballroom neither from Sam, nor her beloved.

"Ophelia," the witch began, walking toward her. "Your name is Ophelia, a character from Shakespeare's _Hamlet."_

She clutched the ground beneath her.

What?

"In the play," he continued, "the stupid girl fell in love with a man who couldn't possibly return her affections."

Why?

"She was so deluded and lonely, when he left."

This wasn't real.

"In fact, she keeps wandering all over the place. Sometimes, she's with her mother, other times in the palace, if only to wait for her Hamlet."

Only a fleeting nightmare.

"She drowned in a pond, refusing to save herself as she did. I'm sure you're aware of that ending."

She'll wake up, and he'll be there, with that gentle smile on his face.

"From the looks of things, I've damaged the tissue surrounding your lungs. No doubt the bullet tore apart some of the vessels. As of this point, ironically, you'll drown in your own blood. Funny, don't you think?"

He'll be there, waiting for her.

The witch toyed with the strand of her hair, scrutinizing it with nary a sympathetic emotion on his face. "And will he not come again?" he murmured quietly, dragging Ophelia through her own heartbreak. "No, no, he is dead."

Tears still streamed from her eyes.

"Go to thy deathbed."

She bit her lip, the humiliation overcoming her.

"He never will come again."

* * *

Alexis unlocked the doors, her light footsteps echoing through the corridors as she did. A wondrous smile grazed her lips, as she watched the officers flood the center, the injured gunmen now lying at their feet. Some were bleeding, others not, some cursing, others merely sitting in defeated silence, unable to comprehend the very fact that _society_ , of all things, stopped them. She couldn't help but giggle at their defeated airs, before launching herself away from the windows, and racing to the ballrooms, the hem of her skirt scampering after her.

By now, everything should be handled. From what Jaden's told her, Aki's still alive. There was something else he wanted to say, though considering how bothered he was by it, Alexis decided not to pry. Yusei was doing just fine, as were the hostages, but it looks like there were a lot of injuries. As of this point, everyone was running out of the ballroom, and with Sector Security storming the building, Jaden's doing everything he can to keep them at bay.

She took a deep, relieved breath, as she ran through the hallways. She could feel the other coven members' gazes on her thin, frail body, the anger twisting their faces so humorlessly. She stole a mere look towards them, before turning away, and skimming from her thoughts, her ideas shallowly blinding her to them. She assumed her own, aristocratic atmosphere, indulging herself in her fancies, before leaving them to the mercy of a society they thought they'd forsaken so very long ago. When she turned back, their now tiny silhouettes being hauled away by Sector Security, she smirked haughtily, before going about her way.

Salem should still be watching, shouldn't he? Since Ophelia entered the ballroom, he's probably already seen Sam die. So this is what it should be then, shouldn't it? With this, the night will come racing back towards her, as she takes it upon herself to visit Sayer once again. The very fact that she and Yusei were still alive was grounds for her to celebrate. Who knows? Maybe when this is all over, Jaden could cook something again, and they'd all share the plate, like they used to.

Just then, from the corner of her eyes, she saw a familiar reporter standing there, with a solemn look on her face. She didn't pay any attention to the police officers, all of whom were now struggling to hold back the impatient crowds, nor to the gunmen, who had reporters shoving their microphones in their faces, or even to the city officials, who were all still agonizing over the incident. No, she was staring at Alexis, with dark shadows beneath her gaze, and a morbid, yet melancholic scowl, one that seemed so very familiar to the girl.

Ms. Raines.

She'd seen her.


	39. Chapter 39

She saw them there, on the ground.

They lay there, beneath the same, bloodthirsty skies, along with a familiar violence she'd grown familiar with.

Two people, a boy and a girl, both of whom were facing toward her, with glassy eyes. Deformed, and torn apart bit by bit, they gazed at her helplessly, black entwining with red, with soundless whimpers escaping from their lips. They were beaten, battered, with body parts skewered toward the side, and yet she could only watch them, as they dealt with the neglect, the abandonment. Though she could still see them struggling, desperately clinging to their wretched, decadent immortalities, they kept on calling out to her, their pitiful voices screaming from the depths of her mind.

She stared at them, the sorrow eroding away whatever numbness she carved for herself. Morals she'd long forgotten resurfaced into her brain, clouding her vision with cold, icy tears, something not even she would be able to recognize. Seams of memories diffused throughout her mind, echoing their resentments, their contempts, towards her, without the slightest notion of mercy. They enticed her body, lulling it with a deep, depressive lullaby, the tinkering, frightful sounds akin to a distant melody she knew she's heard before.

 _Why?_ she heard from behind.

Rapidly, she turned.

No one.

She regarded the empty space evenly, her delusions spilling out in front of her. A happy family, which consisted of a mother, and a father, and a young girl, all of whom were living together, in a castle far far away. There was a field of roses just waiting for her, beckoning her to come and care for them, as she had for her own, fairytale-like dreams. Coming from the distance, was a school, where that same girl went, smiling, holding fast to the friendships she's made, the joy she's carried for so very long. There was yet another school, a school where that girl attends now, where she was getting carried away with dreams of the future she's made for herself, the tiniest details now being sorted out by her mind. And within those dreams, she saw friends, friends the girl's made, friends the girl would risk everything for, if only for the chance to see them mourn over her, with spilled, innocent attention she's always wanted to have. Powers? What powers? What mark?

At an instant, the image disappeared. She could hear time echoing through her ears, the pendulum tearing down any vain lies she's comforted herself with. Judgements, accusations, all befell upon her, at that very moment, clawing at her with screams and moans. Whatever adorations and praises she'd received from before, whatever nightmares she'd engulfed herself in, had fallen from her sight, now destroyed by the scarlet from above. Her eyes widened at the seams, as she turned back to the bodies of the fallen, of her beloved friends, of anyone who had ever meant anything to her.

Both wore black roses upon their throats, roses that held fast to sharp, gleaming thorns. Strands of blond and brown hair entwined together, and though their faces were ruined, battered beyond recognition, she could feel a sickening recognition from deep within the pits of her stomach. She could hear her own heart tearing itself to pieces, her chest pounding in anxious impatience, as she swept down to their sides, begging that they awake, that they open their eyes, that they answer her with whatever immaturity they've carved into her. She gripped their limbs desperately, not caring if she muddled those shallow, soiled graves. Her voice pierced the dismal air, as she tried waking them up from their dreamless sleep, unbeknownst the darkness she catered to, a darkness that had already corrupted them completely.

 _How could you?_

She's heard those voices before.

Voices from grace. Children's voices.

She found them standing there, with gleeful smiles plastered upon their faces. Dark, tainted giggles erupted from their silhouettes, the shallow happiness within their eyes little more than an insult to their already shattered prides. All were clothed in simple, white rags, with tight, heavy chains wound around their ankles. Scars adorned their skins, and through those rags, she could see their ribs, their grotesquely emaciated frames. Overbearing, yellow fangs protruded from their lips, with their gums bleeding out what little blood they had left. They all stared up at her, with their glassy, blank expressions, the morbidity of their own envious states weighing her down.

 _How could you?!_

And all the while, as she stared at them, remnants from a subtle memory slowly began seeping into her system. Then, one by one, she began to see their horrific ends, their innocence evaporating from the tips of her fingers.

Strangled.

Maimed.

Skewered.

Beheaded.

Impaled.

Her hands were trembling, recalling a horrific time that both her mind and heart shut out. She could see crimson, embedded upon her hands, with stains upon stains of vile filth. She could see herself sitting there, amongst the requiem of children, the silence laced beneath the same graves. She could see them swarming after her, their grief-stricken eyes rejoicing in delight, as they pondered on her eventual demise, on the justice they hoped to attain, if only for a brief moment. She could see them tying her down, their own chains bearing the burden of whatever sins she's committed in the past. She could see them laughing at her own pain, at the pain she caused them, the pain she was only beginning to understand. She could see them passing onto her their accusations, her own guilt dragging her towards the stand, as the children wrapped their velvet, suffocating claws around her throat, sentencing her to dwell forever within her own darkened heart. No, death was much too merciful, especially for someone so cruel and callous.

 _HOW COULD YOU?!_

She tried reaching out to the two bodies who were lying there, just beside her. She was trying to call out for them, all the while apologizing over and over again. Trying to do everything she could to make the corpses see why she did what she did, why she even bothered dragging them into her mess. Trying to tell them how sorry she was, how much she wanted to take back everything that's happened over the years, how much she wanted to turn back time, to where she could still die, that fateful night. Trying to show them how much she's tried ending her existence, from the moment she heard those chants.

Trying to stop her breath, from coming out of her starved body.

Trying to torture herself, in the same way she had with so many other of her victims.

Within that second, she heard the cracks.

Within that minute, she saw men, surrounding her, gun barrels directed toward her.

Only her.

She closed her eyes, her own, pitiful tears cascading down her cheeks. That's right; they'll end it. Those angels, dressed so very officially. They were going to end it, and she wasn't going to have to suffer for much longer. She can join them, her beloved persons. She could be with them forever and ever and ever, and she wouldn't have to worry about a single thing. They'll be right beside her, and she'll be free, from her guilt, from her own shame, from every little secret she's kept.

Just then, a man appeared, right in front of her.

His back was turned, as he faced her executioners. Raven hair, with golden highlights she couldn't remember seeing before. A blue jacket, with a dark rose strapped to his throat. And reflective, wondering eyes, eyes that took on the form of a deep obsidian, a color that she'd found herself lost in before. She saw him, there, in the pit of her agony, as she reached out to the executioners. Who was he? she wanted to ask. Why was he here? What was he doing?

Then, she saw the same, bloodstained red erupted from her precious angels.

The next thing she knew, she was screaming. Despair drove its unwelcome lusts across her brain, as she reached out to them, doing whatever she could to revive them, if only for the sake of their vain justices. She tried crawling to them, bushing aside the children's taunts, ignoring the two bodies lying on the ground, waiting for her to join them in the afterlife. Dry, cracked lips voiced her hallowed screeches, the pain entwined within her vocal chords.

And yet, something stopped her.

But she didn't know what.

 _Aki_ , was the first thing she heard.

 _Why?_

At an instant, she dragged her hands to her ears, her wide eyes fixed to the ground. Shaking, trembling, all the while endeavoring to pretend that her angels were still there, fixated on her, and her alone. But despite that, the children's voices continued berating her, assaulting her with their own, demonic chants, repeating the many ways they've died. They kept on with their little games, as they watched her unraveling mind, the insanity crossing over between her delusions and dreams.

 _Aki_ , she heard again.

"JUST SHUT UP!"

But the children continued.

 _How could you?_

 _How could you?!_

 _HOW COULD YOU?!_

"Just…just shut up," she murmured brokenly, shutting her eyes as she did. A silent plea, a broken prayer, followed by more and more of those children.

Where were they, her angels?

What are they doing?

And suddenly, the voices stopped.

A cool presence washed over her. Something cold pressed against both her ears, the sounds quickly fading from her. Though she could still feel their eyes, the presence covered her from their sight, hiding her from the chaotic scene. It touched her forehead, though she didn't know what; she was too afraid to open her eyes.

"Akiza," she heard someone say, a man.

His breath trickled down her collarbone, with a soothing, nonjudgemental tone embedded within his words. So soothing, in fact, at that moment, she'd stopped shaking.

"I don't want to see it," she said, after the longest time.

Hands, she now believed, pressed harder against her skull. "See what?" he asked.

"Them," she choked. "I…don't want to see those children."

An eerie silence draped over the man. Finally, he pressed her against him, his hands still over her ears. "You don't want to see them?" he asked.

"No."

"Then keep your eyes closed."

* * *

Author's Note:

-Ophelia was a character from Shakespeare's Hamlet. As Yusei so callously says, Ophelia is the epitome of insanity. When she believed Hamlet to be dead, her mind broke. She fell into a lake I believe, and because she was so in love with Hamlet, refused to save herself.


	40. Melancholy

My forehead rested on her shoulder. I could feel her trembling at the scrutiny of my own touch, could see her hesitating as she tried making out the chaos in front of her, all the while resisting the urge to fall beneath her insanity. Though her eyes were wide, quivering at the sights, I knew that she only sat there, in simplistic darkness, waiting for my words to reach her again. She couldn't see anything, that much I knew, blinded by whims she couldn't even begin to understand.

Blood covered her victorian coat, the darkening stains becoming more and more visible with each passing second. Her bangs were messily splayed against her face, her sharp, golden eyes reflecting the same, glassy look all the other corpses around her. She was pale, and even from here, I could hear her panicking heartbeat, her paralyzing tears rendering her motionless. If I listened closely, I could hear her saying one, simple word, over and over again. I only tightened my grip around her, before stealing a look from the outside.

I start to stand, when I catch sight of her mumbling. I narrow my eyes, and take both her arms. I breathe a deep sigh, and fall back into the friend she'd cultivated. "C'mon," I whisper gently. "We've got to go."

"…fault."

I steady her, and give her the soft smile I knew she adored. "Aki, we've got to get out of here."

"…away…"

"Aki-"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

My eyes widened at her outburst. Before I knew it, she shoved me away, her feral, golden eyes brimming with pain. She clutched herself tightly, so tightly I could see blood from her fingertips. Still, I never bothered pausing to take in her disheveled frustrations; we didn't have time for that. I grit my teeth, and try again. "Akiza, listen-!"

"It wasn't my fault!"

"What-?!"

"I had nothing to do with it!" she continued, her voice radiating with an inaudible madness, a madness that sounded so very familiar. "Just…just leave us alone. Leave me alone. Leave us alone. Leave me _THE HELL ALONE!"_

These delusions were getting out of hand. "Akiza-!"

"It's not my fault," she kept saying, as she shook her head profusely. "I had nothing to do with it. There's no way you're here. No…no no no no no no no-"

I grabbed both her shoulders. "Akiza!"

"You're one of them, aren't you?! Let go of me-!"

"We don't have time for this-"

It was then she gazed up at me. Tears streamed down her delicate faces, her quivering lips now ceasing their hesitation.

"Monster," she whispered quietly.

* * *

Every so often, Mree would challenge me to a game of chess. She told me I could pick either side, as long as I didn't drop the game half-heartedly, as Jaden had done many times over. I had some vague idea of how to play it, but regardless, Mree always destroyed me. Whenever I figured out just one of her tactics, she'd come up with another, overly complicated one. It was hard just to keep up with her, trying to predict where she was going to go, what trap she was going to lay for me. Fortunately for me, the humiliating matches wouldn't last long; there was always something that needed to be done, whether or not Mree acknowledged it.

I honestly don't know why I play against her. Perhaps it was because I heard Belletrix always kept losing to her too, and I decided that if I could beat Mree at her own game, maybe then she wouldn't be as protective of me. Maybe I just found it amusing, the fact that Jaden, the head of our _research_ department, couldn't even win in a simple game of chess. Then of course, there was also the chance I did it for my own amusement, figuring that if I could master the game, I could manipulate the political battlefield more efficiently. That's what I wanted to believe, anyways.

The last time I played with her, was the night before she was sentenced to the asylum. She kept talking about how happy she was for me, how happy she was for Belletrix and Jaden, that they were moving up in the world, however cruel it was. She had a painted smile on her face, and when she looked down at the board, to my relief, that smile faded. Whatever incoherent emotions poured out from her lips fell silent, as she concentrated on her moves, analyzing every little pitfall my pieces could fall to, every little technique that she secure her checkmate. After she moved, she'd look up, and talk a bit more, switching erratically from one subject to the next, without even bothering to pay attention to how childish her words sounded.

But it was more than that. As she rambled, I noticed how she kept looking around her shoulder, endeavoring to combat the growing darkness with her own, silly dreams. She kept talking about the experiments Jaden's received today, as well as the failed demons who resided in forgotten graves. She played with her hands as she did, all the while feeding her paranoia, her pupils darting here and there, without any reason why. After her gibberish, she fell silent, and play her pieces. During that time, she'd gather her thoughts, then fix her gaze on me, and begin again.

it was at the end of the conversation did I realize how bad things were. She told me she kept having nightmares, about those children. They were coming after her, with those cool, dead eyes, shouting out their vengeance, their judgmental gazes dragging her down It didn't matter who they were; rich, poor, a success, a failure; to her, they were all the same, their feral sense of morality embedded deep within their malnourished brains. They craved for suffering; they needed it.

After Mree went insane, Belletrix became Fallen's leader. She started imposing stricter sanctions on everyone, but especially on Jaden and I. We weren't allowed to go anywhere, at least, without telling her where we'd be. We were supposed to report back to her every three days, or when a new development had occurred, or if some trivial problem had come across our way. We were to stay away from the Black Rose at all costs; should we ever come into contact with her, we were to come straight to Belletrix, no matter how implausible it seemed.

Of course, we never really obeyed her orders. Personally, I thought they were unnecessary, only a mere testament as to how scared she was for our safety. But since I accompanied her everywhere, from conferences, to meetings, to even hunts, I guess I was always under her watchful eye.

Jaden, however, had a bit more flexibility. He was always in Krakow, concentrating on his research, while Belletrix was either in Bucharest, or Paris, sometimes Cairo. And because of the unpredictable nature of his experiments, she had no way of checking up on him, though she somehow managed to convince herself that whatever he was doing, her subordinates would guard him. Besides which, he was never a sociable person. He wasn't going to be near people all the time, as she so brashly reasoned out, so she wouldn't have to worry about him all the time. I have to admit; I envied his subtle freedom.

Some time later, Jaden came up with a new lab rat, a successful one that imitated the Black Rose perfectly. Everyone was ecstatic, and on orders, I met him in Krakow. In all honestly, he wasn't as enthusiastic as I thought he'd be, that solemn, melancholic frown embedded on his face.

Still, I didn't let that deter me. I asked him how he managed to create another success. He simply shook his head, and, after a little while longer, told me he used the blueprints the old farts created for Amaryllis. He thought it was too risky to delve into our own designs, since we weren't nearly as perfect as she, nor as stable, for that matter.

He introduced me to the experiment, a little girl we now call Alexis. She was a pretty thing, with long, blond hair, and dead brown eyes, eyes that weren't common in Fallen's ranks. She was so quiet, always alone, always observing her surroundings silently, with absolutely no light shown within her pupils. But whenever Jaden released something for her to hunt, that girl would suddenly come alive. She would hunt that poor creature down, and, after a while, bring back organ parts, sometimes in her hands, other times wrapped around her wrists. She would always smile when she did so, and when Jaden drew near, she crept toward him shyly, while simultaneously showing off her newest discoveries.

He didn't treat her like the rest of his experiments. If anything, he paid more attention to her than anyone else. As she grew, he was always trying to communicate with her, trying to bring her behavior toward that of a popular socialite, or at the least, a passable savage. He was the one who brought her books, who gave her lessons, who gave her every possible aspect of knowledge he could think of. Whenever I came to visit, he was always with her, attempting to, at the very least, teach her more of the world, more than what she was already used to.

It was a strange relationship. As she grew, there were times when he'd simply stare at her as he ran his tests, sometimes forgetting to put the data points on his board. Other times, he would chatter on and on with her, never knowing if she understood a single word. And even still, whenever he and I were alone, he kept lamenting on the fact of how she was here, trapped in our world, when he thought she'd be happier on the outside. I however, shrugged, and reminded him of the Black Rose. He shut up then.

I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. What with that dead look in the girl's eyes, I don't think she paid attention nearly half the time. And when she did, she'd only find her beloved, dead animals surrounding her. She probably doesn't even know he watched over her through the years, even though he gave her her childish game, since she was too busy admiring her kills. Aside from the name he'd given her, Arisé, I don't think she knew anything else of him.

Soon after, Alexis escaped. Jaden scoured everywhere for her, doing whatever he could to try and find her. He didn't want such a beautiful thing in callous reality, and as a result, even abused his authority as head of the department. And as he did, I helped shroud his activities from Belletrix, knowing full well what she'd have thought of the unhealthy relationship. Personally, I thought it was necessary, considering how close Jaden was to Mree. Though she might not have known it, Alexis's existence was needed, in this closed off, imaginary world of ours.

Jaden didn't contact me much after that. Though I knew he was still actively searching for her, he still had his responsibilities; too busy, I figured. I remembered how Mree had been though, just when she was admitted into the asylum. When Belletrix began distancing herself from the situation, I decided to stay behind, and try to watch over him. He was yet another sibling I didn't want to lose.

I couldn't even begin to comprehend the shock I felt then, when Belletrix told me he was dead.

He was fanciful, with his affections towards Alexis.

And it was through his erratic behavior did I recognize in my own sister.

* * *

News about Jaden's death spread through the organization like wildfire. As expected, Belletrix's restrictions became even more severe. Suddenly, I was surrounded by guards, all of whom watched me with the full intent on exposing whatever secrets I'd hidden before. I couldn't go out whenever I wanted to, and if a criminal was brought into the tribunals, I couldn't go anywhere near them. My subordinates started getting more and more of my assignments, and though I still maintained my position as general, it was becoming more apparent that I was little more than figurehead. Everyone knew about it; whenever I passed through the corridors, they'd all simply turn away, and mutter their respects, their sarcastic tones hidden beneath their breath. It didn't matter whether or not I was their "superior"; the one they were afraid of was Belletrix.

It was suffocating. It'd gotten to the point I did whatever I could to sneak away, letting her panic over my disappearances. If I disappeared for months on end, she'd send whomever was available to come drag me back, and if they failed, as they usually did, she'd put everything on halt, and come after me herself. Just like with Mree, I always lost.

I was still cursing myself, for what'd happened, why I wasn't watching him as should've. I took an active interest in hunting the Black Rose then. Even with Belletrix's stupid rules, I managed to find a way around them; I had my own influences, my own alliances, none of which were tied to Fallen. I covered my tracks the best I could, and nurtured my hatred. I've heard enough from Belletrix about the witch, about the rampant killings that've damaged Fallen so badly, and that was reason enough to stop the damn psychopath. I've searched all over for her, unwilling and unable to let the fond memories of my little brother go.

All the while, I kept visiting Mree in the asylums. Each time, I saw her deteriorate little by little, her mental state fading fast from me. There were times I've had to remind her about who I was, where we both came from. Though she would always smile and nod, I knew she probably had no idea what I was talking about. At night, I could hear her screams, the cause of her pain from desperate scientists who were eager to retrieve their beautiful demon. I could see her struggling against the straps, trying to distance herself away from the pain, purging herself of the memory. From what I could see, it worked half the time, considering how different she was every day.

I was helpless. Here Mree was, suffering on her own, and I had absolutely no idea how to fix it. By now, she's probably heard that Jaden died, and that alone must've caused her so much stress. Then again, I don't even know if she even had that memory anymore; she's been destroying her mind left and right, annihilating all the horrible things from her delusional world.

I wanted to tell her about the Black Rose. I wanted to tell her everything that's happened, every single thing that went on in the organization. I wanted to tell her about Alexis, about how she managed to escape Fallen, and how Jaden had abandoned everything, just to try and reclaim her. I wanted to tell her about Belletrix's paranoia, about how she's taken control of Fallen, even in her state, about her restrictions, about how possessive and unstable she'd become.

But for some, strange reason, I never did.

I only imitated Mree's smiles, and stayed silent.

Some time after, I heard from the asylum that Mree wasn't going to accept anymore visitors. At first, I was upset, and ordered the director to let me through. However, he only shook his head, and gave me the wretched, submissive look I'd gotten used to seeing. When I pried further, he told me that it was Belletrix's orders.

I took the matter up with sister dearest, with questions swirling in my brain. It wasn't like her to isolate Mree. She, like the rest of us, loved her. At the very least, she would've wanted our former leader to fall with dignity, and with every moment of grace she could muster. But when I came to her, she merely shrugged her shoulders, and told me Mree requested it herself. I was about to fight back, when I stopped myself. After a few moments of silence, I spun my heel, and left.

Days on end, I kept worrying about Mree. Jaden's behavior kept coming back to me, and that alone put me on edge. But not only that; I've also heard news about how the Black Rose was dismantling our Krakow branch, with rumors of her having a coven in tow. I didn't know why Belletrix wasn't sending me out there, to deal with the situation. She's got too much at stake, and if we lose those experiments, we'll be at a big disadvantage. Besides which, those rats were Jaden's, weren't they? That alone should be a reason why she should guard them wholeheartedly.

I couldn't stand it. I was impatient. I didn't want centuries upon centuries worths of work disappearing before us. I tried calling out Belletrix on her incompetence, but she only served to reject me further. She'd no use for subordinates who didn't know their place, nor did she have time to entertain her "spoiled brats."

After the encounter, I decided to see Mree again. I hoped that, with the way things were, she'd regained her senses. She'd come out of the asylum, and take over once again. I let that optimism get the best of me, and snuck into the asylum the very same night.

As I came toward her room, I found the door, unlocked, with a tiny crack within the opening. I heard soft laughter, with voices pouring out from the room. Mree, and another woman, from what I could tell. I remembered taking a deep breath, reciting my words in my head, before pushing that door open.

And I remembered seeing the Black Rose there, with a single amaryllis in her hands.

The questions I've asked, the answers I've come up with, all paled in comparison to the image I saw that day.

* * *

Mree wanted to die. No matter how many times I've pleaded with her, or the plentiful arguments we'd gotten into, in the end, she still wanted to end her life. Her kind heart couldn't take the cruelty anymore.

It was the reason why I allowed Akiza to kill her.

* * *

Akiza's half-dead body leaned against the railing, her bangs messily splayed against her forehead. Shadows were embedded beneath her eyes, her pale skin desperately scouring for what little warmth there was left in the fading, evening light. Her corset was tattered and torn, with ugly scars adorning her arms. Those once feral eyes lost their light, the words spewing from her lips no longer apart of her mind. Bullet holes were entwined in her torso and leg, with a deep cut slashed along her chest. From what I could tell, she was still bleeding.

My gaze slowly comes to the crowds of people, all of whom were now racing inside the building, screaming for their loved ones to answer them. Nearly half of sector security were mourning for their fallen comrades, while the other half screeched angrily against the skies, declaring war against whoever was responsible. The normals who managed to get out alive were bombarded with questions, some pertaining to whether or not they were involved with the coven, others on how they even managed to make it out with only a few scraps and bruises. They would start to answer, only to fall silent, wondering as to how they were actually able to deal with the chaotic procession. Before long, they would recall some other, nonexistent moment in their lives, and use that as an answer.

I cock my head, before turning away. "As punishment," I say emptily, "for disobeying me."

I didn't like that candidate. He was more than willing to accept any other reality than this one. It seemed that, from the moment he came into the ballroom, he'd use any means necessary as to secure his victory. Even with the conditions I've laid out, he refused to accept them. I wasn't going to allow a person like that take the title; whatever reward he was expecting will elude him.

As for that other one, I wasn't aware of her until Jaden told me, just an hour before the festival started. I didn't think he was serious, considering how crowded it was, and how hard it'd be, just to make a move on her own. Still, to think she had the stupidity to pull a reckless stunt as this; apparently, she didn't understand the disadvantages in these situations. Rarely anyone ever succeeds. Then again, judging from the hysterical way she confessed to me, it seems rational thought never even occurred to her. To say that you love someone, especially on the battlefield, was practically suicide. Ah, that scene from Hamlet was almost a bit too literal for her.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw the reporters finally halting their disruptive behaviors. A solemn silence fell over them, as, through some human compulsion, they started grieving for the lives lost today, lives that couldn't have affected them either way. I stared at them for the longest time, before turning my attention toward Akiza.

 _Monster_.

She said it.

She actually said it.

Carefully, I stroke her cheek. "Aren't you being a bit hypocritical?" I ask darkly.

I replayed those memories from before, memories of how she slaughtered the candidate. I could still see her back there, laughing along a symphony of bullets, with wide, vicious eyes that caressed the entire scene. No matter what anyone did, or how much they made her bleed, no one could force her down. The other members were so frightened, in fact, they decided to aim their guns for her, instead of the pieces.

I close my eyes. Salem was probably with the rest of the nobles, telling them all about the incident, failing to anticipate the fear I've already instilled in them. Jaden and Alexis were down there, with the rest of the reporters, blending into the crowd without the slightest difficulty. After this, Alexis was going to go back to Sayer, if only to torture him for a little longer. Jaden had already hacked into Fallen's mainframe, and as soon as we know exactly what we're dealing with, I'll issue the attack. I could already see the board in front of me, playing out each strategy with cautiousness.

But I smirked. Though I knew how a majority of the strategies worked, they weren't mine. They were just imitations of Akiza's, her complexity mirrored by how difficult it was to execute them. There were times when even I had no idea what was going on, or what would happen; gambits, that she never told me about, along with discordance she had me sow into the factions. So much had gone into her planning, and here I was, trying to recreate every meticulous detail. Her strategies were so hard to comprehend, that it put Mree's in shame.

And yet, for some reason, my mind kept returning to that same, simple word.

I clutched my hands tightly, as I scrutinized Akiza's sleeping face.

Why? It's not like I cared about her. And even if I did, that… _witch_ has absolutely no idea what she was talking about. Where did she get off saying things like that? This little experiment had proven to me what she was, so she had no right to say something so harsh. Besides which, she was in my care, wasn't she? I could kill her now, if I wanted to.

I shut my eyes, and laugh pathetically.

Empty threats.

That's all they were.

Just then, I heard a phone vibrate.

I jolted up. I looked around for a while, still dazed by everything that'd happened, when I reached over, and fumbled for Akiza's phone. I take it out from her pocket, and check the caller id.

Angela Raines, it said.

I bite the inside of my cheek. Did Akiza tell her she was going to be here? Was she just looking for another juicy scoop about the hijackers? Did she think Akiza had something to do with this? Interrogations kept piling on my brain, endless suspicions nagging at me with each second past. The vibrating stopped, and what replaced it, a text message.

 _I can see you._

At that moment, I looked over my shoulder, and down at the crowds of people standing there. I searched and searched and searched, until finally, I come across a familiar woman looking up at me.

Her long, blond hair cascaded down her body. A red jacket covered her white undershirt, with a dark, navy skirt beneath it. A brown belt wrapped around her waist, and from her hands, she had a microphone. A dark, sly smile grazed her lips, which contrasted sharply to her piercing, gleaming eyes. She was separated from the rest of the crowds, brushing aside the noiseless sounds bombarding her ears.

My eyes narrow.

Belletrix.


	41. Chapter 41

Amrbosine stared out at the computer screen. She watched , her eyes surveying the people standing there, just as surprised, albeit a bit more horrified than she. She regarded them evenly, the familiar coven members now being hauled away by Sector Security. The officers stormed the festival, with no apparent distraction in sight. The camera swirled back to the reporter, who was frantically spilling out all of his alleged frustrations against the "terrorists." The cameraman, much to her relief, came back to the scene, showing off but an empty ballroom to the rest of the crowds. When she squinted her eyes, she saw bodies, traitors, lying motionlessly upon the floor.

She closed her eyes, and settled back in her chair. Did someone from Fallen attack that festival? No, she hadn't heard any reports from the others, and as for Sayer, he hasn't even called in yet. Then of course, there's no way the Black Rose would allow something this big to happen, unless he's gotten sloppy. Was this just a distraction? Did someone find out about the spies? Was he getting ready to attack her?

She shook the paranoia away. From what Belial's already told her, it seems they might've found an ally in Hogan; just one more little push, and he'll do everything she asked him to. All she needs to do now is get Atlas on her side, and she can use them against that witch. She won't bother with the twins, since they were so young, nor was she even going to touch Izinski; she had Sayer for that. If he's gone through all this trouble in maintaining appearances, then she can trap him with his own lies. She'd be able to execute him underneath everyone's watchful gaze, under the pretenses that he killed himself, or he was sent away, to get help. Should they ever find out, she could just get rid of them.

She reopened her eyes, as she turned to her the window. Belletrix would be incredibly proud of her, that she managed to stop the Black Rose from hurting anyone else. Though it was regrettable that she couldn't stop the coven from taking any other innocent lives, the result was the same. She was going to put him in his place. She'll do it, even if it costed her everything she had.

She couldn't help but smile then.

The moon wasn't out tonight.

* * *

She laughed aimlessly, rereading the files over and over and over again. Pleasant contentment was etched across her expression, her normally serious frown now enlivened with merriment. Her fingertips lightly crushed the edges, happily taking in the peaceful, dazed face of the man in the photograph, a man whom she scarcely could even acknowledge, rather than fear. She licked her lips, as she scrutinized his familiar pupils, old remnants of nostalgia slowly spreading across her already tainted heart. It wasn't long before she pulled the photograph from her face, and closed her eyes, the satisfaction of seeing him today enough to put her at ease. Tensions fled from her muscles, and after a few deep breaths, she could finally sit up straight. She didn't feel like doing much of anything today, but then of course, she really shouldn't be concerned. She was ahead, after all.

She could still recall the shock on his face, when he saw her down there, as if he were frozen at the fact that she was here, on this earth. She could see every emotion on his face when he blanched, the coolness in his normally frost-stricken eyes entwining with the morbidity around him. She could see him trying to make sense of her presence, though he knew full well that she was there, returned from hell, if only to drag him down to hell. She thought about it all, and then she snickered.

She threw the file away from her then, the information easily coming back to her with graceless elegance. It was surprising, how easily he managed to hide from her. And to think, he's using that thing to cover his tracks; it was so embarrassing she almost fought down a wince. Didn't she teach him better? He really should learn to play with nicer creatures, though with everything that's happened, it was probably too late for simple niceties now. And so, she merely shrugged, and returned to the silent atmosphere.

"Madam."

Carefully, she raised her eyes. Traces of her childish smile remained on her face, and though she tried hiding it, her efforts proved futile. She cocked her head at a nameless experiment, calmly coming toward her. There it was again, that the same desperate light in his gaze. She couldn't help but stare at it for a while, the moments passing by her with difficulty. Before long, she took a deep breath, and calmed her nerves. She fixed her good mood on the man in front of her, and astonished him with a grin. "What is it? You told her, didn't you?"

The man caught himself, and nodded. "It seems the worms are in place. I've asked one to meet me in the main building. Amrbosine will talk with him then."

"Oh? And when would that be?"

"Whenever you want it to be."

She clapped her hands at the answer, the genuinely spilling from the reverberating sounds. "That's good to hear. And the others?"

"Amrbosine told me to only get those two."

"You don't want to do more than you have to, right?"

"I'm glad you understand my situation."

"Lazy?"

He stiffened. "Perhaps."

Her eyes turned back down to the files once again. She could feel the traces of a small blush splattered across her face. Memories came flooding through her brain, some familiar, others distant, but all the same, she smiled warmly. She caressed the moments sweetly, as the bittersweet reunion faded fast from her once serene mind. To think, that after all this time, he's still the same person she's known, the same fragile thing she's watched over for so long. "And what about the other creature?" she asked finally.

The man blinked. "Who?"

"The whore."

"O-oh." The man cleared his throat uncomfortably, as he looked down at her apologetically. "It…it looks like she has nothing to do with this. He's driving the experiment."

"I already know that much," she snapped, causing the man to wince. "What I'm asking is why it affected me too."

"…Perhaps it's because you know him?"

"No, that's not right," she said, as she settled back into her seat. "Even when I was supervising it, I wasn't supposed to be a variable. Was there a hole in her memory?"

"I don't believe so."

She sighed frustratedly. "And what of that man, Sayer? What's he got to do with any of this?"

"…I believe he supported that man somehow, when she was still in the Movement."

She turned her gaze to the photograph, before slumping over. "What're you thinking, involving him in this?" she murmured. "What's so special about him anyways?"

"Would…would you like me to find out for you, ma'am?"

"No," she answered easily. "I've already revealed myself to him."

The man's eyes widened. "What?"

"Surprised?"

"But…but you wanted to conduct the experiment, remember? Don't you know that you're just going to screw up the results?"

"I'm well aware."

"Then why-?"

"My hypothesis has changed," she stated, causing him to fall silent. "I found that whore like this years ago. And he came here, just to find her. That was when the experiment started, correct?"

"Y-yes."

"Well, now I want to see how long it takes him before he realizes what's happened. After all, I didn't do anything to him; she's responsible, for everything that's happened."

"And once he realizes? What will you do then?"

She smirked. "Isn't it obvious?"

* * *

Jaden came into the room, with Alexis in tow. From his left, he could see the wide, rectangular windows overseeing a sea of distant lights, shrouded by the faraway darkness. Lilac curtains cascaded near the glass, the artificial breeze flowing easily behind the material. Red carpet softened their footsteps, with the golden light from above reflecting their elongated shadows. Portraits piled along the walls, of figures he never bothered knowing, of people he kept making fun of, of idiots he sometimes found himself missing. The ornate frames disguising their simplistic humanity burned his eyes, and he couldn't help but look away.

In the middle of the room, there was a small square table. A white candle stood toward the edge of the table, with withered blossoms settled nearby. A chessboard sat a few inches away on top of it, the black and white tiles plastered across the surface. Even from a distance, he could see the pieces Ophelia had used from the festival, the outline of the events taking form. And yet, despite that, there were three pieces left on the board, white pieces that contrasted severely to the enemies surrounding them. Pawns, from the looks of things. Standing near that chessboard, was Yusei.

Jaden stiffened, as he drew closer to the witch. He wore the same, black jeans he usually saw before, though a dark gray, long sleeved sweater hung loosely from his skin. Even from here, Jaden could make out the black rose settled against his neck, along with the strands that held fast to tiny thorns. A tiny frown entrenched upon Yusei's face, with his normally stoic eyes stormily taking in the black. From the corner of his eyes, even Alexis seemed a bit hesitant to approach him.

After the incident with the festival, both he and Alexis met with the reporters, blending seamlessly into the crowds without any difficulty. They saw Raines, along with her wonderful colleagues, all of whom were silent at the tension glaring towards them. To Jaden, it seemed they were too busy counting their losses, than to see what had actually gone on in the ballroom. It guaranteed their safe escape, and though a few of the officers managed to get inside, in the end Yusei dealt with them. Is that what he was mad about then? That those idiots actually managed to get past Jaden? No, that wasn't like him; he wasn't one to lose his temper over even the most serious of things. So, Jaden took a deep breath, and stopped, only a few feet away from him.. "Yusei-"

"Akiza's asleep in her room," he interrupted, causing Jaden to fall silent. "By the looks of things, she'll heal."

Alexis peered up. "So…so she's okay?"

Jaden narrowed his eyes. "You gave her the drugs, didn't you?"

"…Yes."

Alexis visibly relaxed. Jaden joined her relief, before tensing once again, the haunting image of those corpses entwined within his memory. He turned his gaze towards Alexis, who, much to his dismay, never noticed his wandering eyes. Instead, she took a tiny step forward, and looked down at the pieces, her eyes wide with wonder. She clutched her hands toward her chest, and cocked her head. "Aki doesn't play chess like that."

Yusei gave her an empty smile. "I know."

"And pawns are the weakest in the game, aren't they?"

"That's what Amrbosine thinks of us as, for the time being."

"So we've got an advantage?"

Yusei closed his eyes, before prying himself away from his private game. Alexis's questions fell from the scene, which was of no consequence to her. She began playing with the black pieces, even if the curiosity was still lodged in her frame. As she did, Yusei looked up at Jaden, and fished out a tiny cellphone from his pocket. Within the quiet, Jaden could only watch him, his impatience stabbing him constantly. Finally, Yusei unveiled his surprise, and showed them both the caller ID.

Raines.

"Jaden," Yusei suddenly called.

"What is it?"

"Angela Raines; you've seen her before, haven't you?"

Jaden blinked. "Of course. I've told you before, about the internship."

"You haven't seen her anywhere else?"

Confusion entwined in Jaden's thoughts. What's going on? Was Angela bothering Aki again? Wasn't the cover story he gave to Aki enough? Apparently not, considering how they were talking about this now. So he shook his head. "Aside from the news station, no."

Yusei regarded him evenly. It wasn't long before Jaden looked up at him, returning his scrutinizing stare. "What is it? Did something happen?"

He paused, for a single moment, before placing the phone beside the board. "No. It's just…things are going to get a bit more complicated from here on."

Alexis looked up, a black bishop in hand. "What'd you mean?"

"Exactly that," he answered. "We're going to have to be a bit more careful from now on. First things first, tell me what you know, about this current Fallen. Are they working on any new projects?"

"Ah…n-no. No, they aren't." Jaden took a tiny breath, the reluctance fading away from his eyes. He deal with the problem later. "You've seen the list, right?"

"I have."

"Then I'll make this quick; they've already rebuilt the research departments in Krakow, and they're getting ready to build another open in Chicago. But their main headquarters is here, in Neo Domino, and they're using Sector Security as a way of hiding their activities, along with other politicians they've managed to bribe. As of this point, they're getting funding from the city to carry out their plans. So far, all they're really focusing on at the moment is rebuilding outdated technologies and modernizing warfare. They've gotten away from the supernatural though, that's for sure."

"What about new members?" Yusei pressed. "How much attention did they attract?"

Jaden bit his lip. Alexis froze at the seams, though she kept playing with her newly found toys. "Not much," he said at last. "It's just…one."

"Who?"

"Amaryllis Nite."

Yusei could only stare at the two, though it was only for a brief moment. An unreadable thought crossed through his face, a single second of shock that held only secrets to its keepsake. The name of their fallen leader, now showing up in the records, was disturbing enough. But even more disturbing was the very notion that somehow, someway, someone _knew_ about Akiza, _their_ Akiza. They knew her name, knew that that name was connected to the first demon Fallen had ever produced. But even so, Jaden held to the hope that it was probably just a hoax, just to catch Yusei off guard; after tonight, Fallen would know the Black Rose was back. If anything, Jaden was beginning to think he shouldn't have even brought the subject up, considering how obvious the trap was.

But for some reason, Yusei didn't dismiss it. In fact, as Jaden scrutinized him, he could see the hesitation on his face, the sorrow easily diffusing throughout the atmosphere. Finally, Yusei spoke. "How long ago?"

"Eighteen years."

"And the Zero Reverse Incident?" he continued. "When was that?"

"Around the same time."

Alexis turned back then. "You think Fallen had something to do with that?"

"Possibly, but either way, it narrows things down." Yusei folded his arms in front of his chest, and stared down at the phone, his seemingly dark reflection sneering at the pieces near it. "Jaden, Alexis, I want you both here when Akiza wakes up. Make up some excuse as to what'd happened, and make sure the effects of the drug are working."

Alexis blinked. "What about Sayer? And you? Aki came with you, didn't she?"

"There's been a change of plans," Yusei continued smoothly. "I saw someone from that damn organization today, in the crowd. There's a really good chance that they've seen my face, and while you two are still safe, it'd be best for you not to attract too much attention to yourselves, for the moment, at least."

Jaden straightened. "So we're making our debut."

"That's right."

"Why?" he asked. "Wouldn't it be better for us if Fallen didn't know we were involved?"

"I doubt that's possible, at this point. And no," he kept on, catching sight of Jaden's guilt, "this has nothing to do with what'd happened today. If anything, I'm the one who screwed up."

So that's why, Alexis, you'll leave Sayer alone for tonight; let him report the incident to Fallen, and we'll see what they do next. As for the normals?"

"I'm working on it," Jaden interrupted, giving them both a small, reassuring smile. "Yusei Fudo already exists in the system. In the next hour, our files will be there too. There's still no luck with our assets though."

Yusei stole a look down to the chessboard, with an unreadable expression on his face. After a split moment, he turned to Jaden. "You both have been getting monthly allowances, right?"

"That's right, but they aren't tied with Fallen."

"What are the names?"

"It's all still under Nikolai Izinski," Jaden said quietly, causing Yusei to fall silent. "Christoph and Arisé are registered in the accounts too."

"I see," Yusei answered curtly.

Alexis's eyes fell, as she turned away, wringing her hands painfully in front of her. Jaden closed his eyes. "You haven't gotten all your memories back, right?"

He paused. "No."

"I don't get it," Jaden muttered. "Why would someone use those names anyways? Every trace from the previous Fallen was destroyed. All the records were burned, weren't they? The only ones who would know about us now, are Mree and Belletrix." He balled his fists, trying to wrap his brain around the frustrating puzzle. He scowled then. "One of which, might I remind, is dead, the other missing."

Yusei never answered.

"Yusei."

"I can understand where you're coming from here."

"What about that Amrbosine woman?" Alexis chimed, joining in on the search. "You said before that she worked under Belletrix."

"But she's never seen us before, and judging from the way she's been handling things, I doubt she even knows we exist," Yusei explained. "Still, she managed to get our names, and Sayer's working directly with her."

"Meaning someone's been leaking information to her," she finished silently. "How about the other coven members?"

"Though there are traitors, remember, Akiza annihilated the records regarding us being in Fallen."

Jaden's eyes widened. "…So…so someone _survived_?"

"Maybe. In any case, keep an eye out you two."

Jaden bit his lip, before nodding. This was bad, that much he knew. He didn't think that someone managed to survive Akiza's purge; there was absolutely no way. And even if they did, why did they wait until now to make a move? They've had decades to come up with an effective strategy, and against the original Black Rose, of all people. Why now then, when Akiza died? Were they waiting for Yusei to take over? Did they really think he was that vulnerable? And what about Fallen's revival? Were they responsible for that too?

So then, where does that place Aki? She was in the Arcadia Movement, the very same Movement Yusei had apparently supported. That Sayer guy was the leader of the Movement, and now he was with Fallen, neatly serving beneath one of Belletrix's secretaries. The whole thing was more than suspicious, so Yusei, leaving the two of them here, in Aki's home, was probably going to be the safest place for them. After what they'd seen today, it'd make sense for Yusei to be on the defensive. Besides which, now that the Black Rose has risen again on the headlines, they were going to have to hide for a while. It'd also give Yusei the chance to watch Aki closely, while simultaneously dealing with Sayer.

Questions swarmed Jaden's mind. What was the purpose of all of this? Whoever stole their memories, what was their reasoning behind this? What'd they want to do? And why just he, and Alexis, and Yusei? Why didn't they target the other members? It's obvious the entire coven was a threat to Fallen, so why just the original members themselves? They should've known that in order to make this work, they needed to take down the entire thing; otherwise, there'd be loose factions that'd try and destroy Fallen on their own. Granted, they might not be strong enough to take down Amrbosine, but they've all have potentials to be a real thorn to their sides. Even Alexis saw the threats, if only through primal instinct.

"Jaden."

Jaden snapped out from his thoughts. His lips parted slightly, as he resurfaced from his suspicions. He found Yusei staring at him, with Alexis now turning back to gaze at the pawns in the middle of the board. "What is it?"

Yusei took Aki's phone rom the edge, and examined the cover. "Angela Raines is a reporter, isn't she?"

"Y-yeah," he said. "Did something happen? Did she see you-?"

"No. I just wanted to make sure."

Jaden's lips parted. He narrowed his eyes then. "What happened? What does she have to do with all of this?"

"Curious."

"What about the game?" Alexis asked, as she came back to Jaden's side. "Are you really going to keep playing it?"

For the longest time, Yusei didn't answer. At last, he sighed, before reaching over towards the pawns. He closed his eyes then, before knocking one of the pawns over. "I just think it's time we speed things up a bit."


	42. Chapter 42

He saw Crow sitting at his desk, with a pen in hand. He was hunched over, with that same, frustrated look on his face, as he tried memorizing the new prices his boss decided to put up. There was a lot of oil on his hands, so much so Jack couldn't help but wonder why Crow never saw the grim on his face. Hour after hour, Jack waited to see if Crow would notice, and yet, despite all the time he'd given him, his friend never picked up on it. It wasn't long before Jack had given up on the idea completely, and merely settled for admiring the work of art on his face.

But if the blonde squinted, he could see that stupid, far off look Crow always got when something troubled him. Nothing good can come of that look; sometimes, it'd be a rival hell bent on challenging Jack to a turbo duel, while other times, it'd be those kids, all of whom were either sick or bullied. Jack even first saw that look when Kalin was starting to get out of hand, back when they were still in the Enforcers. In other words whenever Crow had that look on him, it meant his protective instincts were kicking in, whether it be for the kids, or for his friends, or Martha, or anyone else who might be important to him.

He examined Crow for a while, before turning back to the duel runners. They all looked good, especially his own; he doubted even Goodwin could afford the upgrades Yusei effortlessly put in, and all in just the span of a single week. Though the runners looked a bit beaten down, in the end, it was through that simple reality that reflected all their hard work. Just a little more training, and soon, they'd be ready for the WRGP. It's a good thing too, since they were already ahead of schedule. Of course, Jack would probably be the one to carry the team; after all, Yusei and Crow needed the former duel champ, not the other way around. Still, Jack had to admit that it was nice, being on a team with his friends.

Speaking of which, where exactly was Yusei? And Crow looked on edge, more so than what Jack was used to. Actually, now that he thought about it, ever since they got back from the Daedalus Bridge, he'd been that way. Jack cocked his head, the slightest trace of curiosity arousing from his mind. "Oi," he called.

No answer.

"Crow."

Still nothing.

Jack narrowed his eyes. He stood from the couch, and walked toward the redhead. "Crow!" he called, causing the man to jolt. He looked up, and found Jack towering over him, his eyes wide with surprise. "What?" he finally asked, annoyed by the suddenly surprise.

"What? I've been calling you for forever now!" he hissed. "Where's Yusei? You see him anywhere?"

"…Yusei…? Oh, right. Um, I think he went to that old guy. You know, the one with the air conditioner."

Jack scoffed. "Again? The bloke's not bright, that's for sure."

Crow simply nodded, before turning back to his own work, the worry embedded in the lines of his face.

Jack raised one eyebrow. He folded his arms across his chest, as he glowered at Crow, the confusion quickly reappearing on his expression. "So that's it?"

"Jack, I'm a little busy right now-"

"No insults this time?" he pressed, clearly bothered by Crow's disposition. "You know, I just quit another job. Bookstore; dull places they are."

"Good for you."

Jack's eye twitched. He allowed the silence to settle between them, then turned back to examine the duel runners. "You know, that waitress keeps telling me to work for the cafe. You know, the down the street. Not my cup of tea really."

The scratches of Crow's pen filled the garage busily.

"The engine is working perfectly, by the way. We'll leave all the other teams in the dust."

"Great…"

"The program Yusei made works perfectly."

The pen stopped moving.

Jack narrowed his eyes. Hesitation permeated from Crow's pupils, as he stared at the empty space in front of him. Before long, Jack sighed, and leaned against the wall. He watched Crow carefully, knowing full well the memory replaying in his friend's mind. "He's a freak," Jack reminded for the umpteenth time. "Yusei's got nothing to do with anything."

"…I don't know."

"Crow-"

"You saw those kids Jack," Crow snapped. "And the hospital… I think that… at least we should look into it."

"It's a waste of time."

"This concerns Yusei. If we don't find anything, we don't find anything."

"Are you listening to yourself?" Jack asked.

"Yeah. Are you?"

Where was all this coming from? Was Crow actually doubting Yusei? Jack hadn't expected him to do that, especially not at a time like this, when there was a lot at stake. They can't afford to have their friendship falling apart, especially over something as silly as this. "If Yusei's in trouble, he'll tell us. He knows he can count on us when the bad guys come."

He paused.

"Crow?"

"I talked with that guy, Belial again."

Jack's jaw dropped. "What?"

"He wants us to meet him in the lobby at that old bank, _Domino Finances._ Tomorrow at five."

Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing. What was Crow even _thinking_ , agreeing to something like that? What was he hoping to get out from this, besides a beating for doubting their friend? And what's this 'we' stuff? Jack wasn't apart of any of this.

But despite even that, this was one of the first times he'd seen Crow so serious. And he wasn't someone to just accept something from face value.

Finally, Jack sighed. "Is it really that serious?"

"Yeah."

"And where's the proof?"

"He says he'll show more then."

"More?"

"…Yeah."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "And what did he show you?"

Crow didn't answer.

* * *

The tiny, glass stained windows caressed the afternoon light embedded within it. A small tower was situated on the left, the gray stone rough against the palm of her hands. Just near it was the main house, a cottage that carried with it remnants of neglect. An emerald rooftop covered the structure, a deep verdant that captured the reflection of the glass that used to be around it. She could make out the childish gibberish scribbled on the surface, and though she giggled at the display, a few seconds later, she merely shrugged, and continued on with her exploration. Carefully, she pried the dollhouse open, and found two figurines standing inside. A boy and a girl, neither of which she bothered taking in their appearances.

It was nice, that dollhouse. Smaller than what she was used to, but comfortable nonetheless; to be perfectly honest, Alexis didn't think Aki had something like this here. And to think, it was in a glass cabinet too, wistfully being admired by anything and everyone around it. It carried with it an air of elegance Alexis hadn't seen, along with a certain degree of arrogance that the girl couldn't help but find irritating.

But despite that, Alexis was still drawn to it. She loved playing with dollhouses, so she couldn't understand why Aki would keep something so wonderful locked up. Maybe she just didn't like playing with dollhouses, but she thought it'd be a complete waste, just to throw it away. Or maybe she didn't put it in the cabinet at all; maybe it was her mom or dad did, though Alexis found the story a bit hard to believe. Maybe Aki misplaced it when she was little, and over time, she just forgot about it. But whatever the case, the dollhouse was here, on Alexis's lap, with the two figurines nestled between her fingers.

Akiza once asked her why she liked dolls so much. At first, Alexis was delighted; she figured Akiza wanted to play pretend with her, or she was just curious as to how to play a simple game like house. But Akiza stopped her before she could explain, and asked her again why she liked dolls in the first place. They were creepy, in Akiza's opinion, with their eyes following her everywhere. And the way they held themselves, those little boys and girls and men and women, their emotionless faces easily embedded themselves into her mind, reminding her of sins better forgotten. Even with that, Alexis couldn't really understand why Akiza was so afraid of them, but nonetheless, she smiled, and remained quiet.

Alexis scrutinized the dollhouse for the longest time. She was in Aki's bedroom right now, sitting on the edge while her friend was still sleeping. It'd been a day, since Yusei ordered Jaden and Alexis to stay here. Initially, Alexis stayed by Aki's side diligently, making sure nothing bad happened to her. Jaden sat by her too, and watched; neither made any sound, as they stared at the woman's face, comparing her features with Akiza's for hours on end. The resemblance was uncanny, and though Alexis carried some hope that the girl lying there was, in fact, their beloved leader, deep in her heart, she knew that to be impossible. But she managed to cast the thoughts aside, since, soon afterwards, she got bored, and started wandering the house. She knew where she was going; she'd been here before.

She closed her eyes; she didn't need to be reminded of how bad the situation was. Jaden told her what'd happened, how Aki managed to take down the candidate on her own. He told her about how she slaughtered the rest of the coven members without any help, before collapsing. He told her about how scary she looked, her powers resonating from the ballroom.

It was frustrating, the way he described the entire ordeal. Her own memories were still coming back to her. She kept sitting there, all night, trying to piece together the mystery, but even with her best efforts, she couldn't come up with anything.

Well, that wasn't true. She could easily recall the demands Yusei had given them, telling them to stay away from a girl, a girl she couldn't even remember, at this point. Well, he looked really, really upset, and if Alexis was willing to disobey him, that girl must've been important. She remembered Jaden going along with her, talking on and on about a topic she'd forgotten. Was it on dolls? No, she'd remember that conversation; like Akiza, Jaden thought dolls were creepy, and didn't want anything to do with them, even if he did make a few for her. It was through that contradiction, did she laugh suddenly.

"Alexis?"

She looked up, and saw Jaden.

He was wearing that black, v-necked sweater again, the one with skeletal angel wings towards the back. The dark blue jeans he decided to wear were dragging on the floor, his bare feet taking in the cold surface of the wood. On his neck, he wore his choker, that black rose contorting gracelessly, twisting its petals into a beautiful, yet ugly thing. He regarded her with even eyes, as he walked toward her side, and sat next to her. His eyes settled on the dollhouse in her hands, and, at that moment, he sighed. "You couldn't stay away, could you?"

Alexis gave him an empty smile. "You know me."

"And those things? In your hands?"

"I found them inside," she answered, as she showed him the nameless figurines. She placed the two in his hands, before turning her attention back to the dollhouse. "You think Aki used to play with them?"

"I've no idea." He examined them for a while. He then opened the tiny dollhouse and placed them comfortably inside, his eyes lingering on their featureless faces.

Alexis blinked. "Did her parents use to play with her?"

"I don't think so."

"Why?" Alexis asked silently. "Is it because of what'd happened, back at the festival?"

"Yes."

"…What does Yusei think about it?"

"I don't really know," Jaden replied, as he turned up towards the ceiling. "It must be hard for him, the fact that she's here."

Alexis tightened her grip around the dollhouse. Yes, she understood the feeling, seeing a loved one here, a loved one they all thought had died long ago. Perhaps she was still dead, and the hope Alexis felt was just a stubborn desperation that refused to go away. And she did feel a subtle contempt for their friend, for Aki, that she carried Akiza's face on her. All the same, Alexis didn't want to think that Aki would lie to them, that she was still innocent, despite everything that's happened. But now, Alexis knew that excuse was wearing thin.

His arm came around her shoulder. Automatically, she leaned against him, as she watched the bright, sunlit shadows falling from their eyes. "It'll be fine," he said silently. "You'll see."

"I don't want to hate her."

"Neither do I."

Alexis closed her eyes, the fatigue slowly beginning to overcome her. She felt Jaden's cheek resting on her head, his eyes gazing at the empty space in front of them. The silence draped over the room, with Aki's even breathing behind them.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why what?"

Alexis shifted her weight. "Akiza once asked me why I liked playing with dolls. She told me she thought it was creepy, and that she sometimes worried about me."

Jaden chuckled quietly. "Not gonna lie; I'm curious too."

Alexis gave him a small smile. "I just…really like playing pretend."

Jaden started saying something else, when he stopped. Slowly, his arm came back to his side, and he scrutinized her, the moments passing by them freely. Reluctance showed on his face, though even that began to fade, when he realized the naiveté slipping away from Alexis's facade. Finally, he shrugged. "It's just one big game to them, isn't it?"

"Who knows? But it'd be nice, if we could all be like that again. You know, if there were two more figurines, it'd be perfect."

"There already are two."

Alexis looked down at the dollhouse again. "You really think so?"

"I do."

She bit her lip. "What'd you think they want with Yusei?"

"…I don't know."

"You've been saying that a lot lately."

"You have too. Do you remember last night? When Yusei asked me if Raines looked familiar?"

"Does she?"

"No, but for some reason, Yusei thinks she's got a big part in this."

Alexis heaved a heavy breath. "What about you?"

"I think she's nosy, but that's about it."

"The whole thing sucks, doesn't it?"

"It does."

Alexis watched the figurines carefully. There was Yusei, and Aki, and Jaden, and finally, Alexis, all sharing a tiny house, in some dream far far away. Protected from the cruelties of the world, all the while endeavoring to explore that same society on their own, not even bothering to take heed to their own warnings. An imaginary, light-filled world one Alexis had over and over again; she could still feel the traces of that time, deep within her memory. She could cling to it, though her fingertips were weakening, her grip over that reality gradually vanishing, allowing it to disappear beneath some, deep abyss. It's funny; she didn't think playing pretend would entail such a loss. She didn't believe sadness, or anger, or resentment, or even contempt, would touch it.

And yet here they all were, lost in the whims of that abyss.

Suddenly, they heard the doorbell ring. It shocked them both from their thoughts, though Jaden quickly left the room, leaving Alexis with the dollhouse still in hand.

When he came back, there was a vase of deep, red spider-lilies in his hand.

Apparently, Raines was really worried about her friend.

* * *

The harsh wind blew against the two silhouettes, on top a crumbling cliff. Ominous clouds gathered near, unleashing the foreboding waves along the shorelines from below. Crimson light reflected the sea of bodies down below, the waters shrouding the horrors hidden beneath the shallow graves. Quiet, mesmerizing symphonies from nature's erratic anger doused the figures with lachrymose, the very instance of fate carefully fading from them. Puddles lay everywhere, their broken faces embedded into the waters so clearly.

She could smell ash within the air, subtly swirling around without the slightest care in the world. Screams and howls resounded through her eardrums, their gibberish pleas immediately falling from her. She closed her eyes, and reopened them again, blocking out the nightmarish sounds. She concentrated on young man standing before her, who pointed a gun directly at her.

Tears streamed his face, as he kept shaking his head, unbelieving of the ghost in front of him. Raven bangs hid his darkening pupils, the slightest traces of remorse already plastered on his lips. The rose on his neck had started wilting beneath the weight of the sin, the temptation to turn away embedded in his frame. He was saying something, a prayer perhaps, though as of this point, she wondered if she should've even cared. Maybe she did, in the deepest corners of her heart, though she didn't want to listen to it; she what he wanted.

From the corner of her eyes, she could see her reflection from the puddles, her own hair blowing hastily away from her golden eyes. She saw herself, and she froze.

Just then, she heard a gunshot.

She felt something, lodged in her stomach. When she looked down, she saw a deep, dark red stain settled on her abdomen, the bullet still tearing through her insides.

Both hands were about to clutch the spot, the pain gradually spreading throughout her body. But as soon as she felt the pain, she stopped herself. She forced her eyes to move toward the man standing there, who was not even willing to fire another shot. Slowly, her arms came to her side, a frightening calm washing over her. It was then, that she looked down at the cliffs, towards the red, sickening ocean. She stared at them for a while, before catching sight of the twisted grins on their faces.

How many were there, just floating in the waters? How many people had died from that one, simplistic mistake, the regret quickly dissipating in their hearts, as they cursed at the criminals for doing this? How many putting themselves out of their misery, their emotions gouging out their hearts without the slightest mercy? How many stood there, mocking her, taunting her, for everything they stood for, only because of some judgment they hastily formalized in their minds? How many had she slaughtered, just for them staring at her, if only out of curiosity? What world did they live in? What delusion? Was it the same as hers?

Her lips parted slightly. Before long, she turned to the man, standing in front of her. And what of him? her heart asked. What had she done to him to make him act this way? Why was he crying? What was he thinking about, when he was holding that gun? Was it painful? She didn't want him to feel that way, not at all. She reach out for him, her body aimlessly moving on its own.

Then, in that same second, she felt the cold, hard ground beneath her, her eyes fading fast from her light.

All the pain, and all the sadness, softly caressing her, with no end. The skies swarmed around her, those, bright, brimming skies.

She kept calling out to the man, tried saying her promise. One after another, those empty promises, her lips failing her as she endeavored relaying them to him.

She wanted him to know.

She _needed_ him to know.

It was then, did Akiza wake.

She found Alexis, hovering over her, with a concerned light in her eyes. From a distance, she could make out Jaden's distant figure, his face a reflection of worry.

As the darkness faded from her eyes, Akiza slowly sat up, a dull pain echoing throughout her body.

She heard Alexis say something, about how worried she was, asking if she was alright. She could see Jaden moving over to her, his hand protectively holding her steadfast on the bed. She saw traces of the evening warmth still in her room, the heat rapidly disappearing from her room. She didn't think she'd be this dazed, not at all. It was then she caught sight of something red, in a vase on her desk.

Spider-lillies.

Amaryllises.

Suddenly, the daze had gone from her.

"Where were you two?" she found herself asking.

Alexis paused for a moment, trying to deduce the meaning behind Akiza's question. Before long, the blonde plopped beside her, a small frown platted on her lips. "We? Aki, you were in a really big accident! You shouldn't be talking now!"

Akiza clutched her forehead.

Gunshots.

A black chessboard.

Accident?

What accident?

"You were volunteering at the festival…weren't you?" Akiza muttered. "No, Jaden was, wasn't he?"

Jaden leaned over. "What're you talking about?"

"There was an attack," Akiza said quietly, relaying the events in her mind. "It was those guys again, wasn't it? It was…"

Alexis grabbed Akiza's hand. "Aki, are you okay? What're you-?"

Her eyes instantly shifted upwards, as her brain tried processing all her confusion, within the split second she dragged herself from her slumber. "Where'd those come from?"

"What?"

"Those flowers. Who brought them?"

Alexis blinked. "Ms. Raines; she said she was really worried about you. She wanted to know if you were okay."

"Did you let her inside?"

"She said she needed to go somewhere else."

Akiza stared at the flowers for a brief second, before turning away. "I see."

Jaden straightened. "How're you feeling, by the way? Is everything…is everything okay? Can we get you anything?"

Akiza turned toward him. "Where's Yusei?"

"Yusei?"

"He was with me yesterday, during the festival."

Neither could answer her.

As the quiet reigned, Akiza couldn't help but look back at the vase of flowers. It wasn't long before she clutched the covers of her blanket, the relief slowly coursing through her body.

She remembered this time.


	43. Chapter 43

She came to him, not too long ago, in a ray of light.

She looked angelic, though not merciful, all the while carrying with her a demonic fearsomeness, as she towered over him. Blond strands were bravely restrained by her braids, though she managed to carry a civilized aura he deeply envied. A deep, scarlet dress covered her long, slender frame, with a tiny, golden necklace dangling from her pale, creamy throat. Feral, emerald eyes reflected back his own fear sharply. A cruel gleam was embedded in those eyes, as she stared down at him, a deep scowl carefully forming upon her face. But even that was brief, the emotions upon her face clearing once again, in favor of an impartial, judgmental look, one he couldn't even begin to forget about.

Silence draped around her presence, a horrendous, suffocating silence, one where he couldn't help but shy away from. He could feel himself trying to get up, to stand without making a fool of himself. He didn't want this beautiful creature to see him like this, didn't want her to believe that all she saw was a pathetic man with only his shattered pride to keep him aloft. He didn't want her to leave, believing that she had nothing to gain after seeing him, after all the promises he's made to himself, the lies the only thing keeping him sane. He couldn't handle it, if this frightening person had left, couldn't describe the dread that would overcome him, should this ostentatious, tainted light left him.

And yet, no matter what he did, he couldn't move. His limbs were numb, his lungs even refusing to obey him. He endeavored taking a breath, only for pain to settle in his chest, stabbing him with all its might. He resisted the urge to flinch, and continued, attempting to overcome this tiny, insignificant obstacle. Darkness covered the corners of his eyes. He was beginning to lose consciousness, but he didn't care; he wanted to show her that he could do it, that he was strong enough to handle the pain he was thrusted into.

He had to show her.

He had to show _someone._

He was the former leader of the Arcadia Movement. He was powerful, charismatic, manipulative; he was a man who managed to conquer an army of psychics, and if it weren't for Goodwin, he would've been able to destroy the world. He was strong enough to control the Black Rose witch, was kind enough to give her a home, become her mentor, even guide her down the path she was destined for. He was strong enough to enact upon her, as well as the rest of the society, the judgement too many criminals had managed to avoid. He was going to become the savior of this twisted race, was going to be a light that helped psychics from all over, was going to be the warrior that brought them from the depths of darkness. He didn't care how crazy he sounded; he _knew_ he could do it.

This pitiful world he'd been thrusted into, a world that he hadn't thought had even existed, was just a test for him. The light wanted to see if he could overcome this obstacle, wanted to know how far he would take things, if only to make sure he had the strength to fulfill his promise. Roses and thorns, amaryllises and belladonnas; in the end he would annihilate all of it, just to catch a glimpse of his fleeting dream. There was no possible way he wouldn't do it; no matter how much blood he had to spill, or how many agonizing screams he'd have to listen to, night after night after night after night, he wasn't going to let things end like this. There was no possible way; his vanity would allow it.

So why?

Why couldn't he stand?

This was his last chance to prove himself! He needed to show everyone that he was worth something! He needed to show off his power, as he did time and time again. He couldn't sit on the sidelines anymore; he needed to, at the very least, illustrate the simple fact that he was the same man with the same principles. He had to get everyone to look at him, to see him for what he truly was. He had to, no matter what it takes.

But even then, he could see that light-filled woman coming toward him, with an icy look settled across her face. She stood there for a single moment, though it felt as if an eternity had passed her by, never minding the time slipping carelessly from her. Finally, she sighed breathlessly, a wave of cool air washing over him. "You're pathetic," she whispered finally.

He clenched his fists.

He can do this.

"Why keep trying?" she continued, as she slowly crouched down, both her hands on his shoulders. "You know how weak you are."

That's not true.

"Why don't you rest? After all, with all the failures you've been dealt, the least you could do for yourself, is sleep."

He tried shaking his head, but froze at the pain erupting from his collarbone. He bit back a cry, as he continued to struggle against her words. There's no way he was going to let it end like this, absolutely no way. He would've had to be insane to give up now.

"Like a little child," the woman cooed, as she pushed him to the ground. He felt her cool fingers brush back his bangs, the softness of her touch lulling him mercilessly to slumber. "I guess you're done playing then, aren't you? Done being pushed around by the bullies on the playground?"

Sayer can't give up.

"Weary of life, weary of everything around you."

Sayer shouldn't give up.

"Close your eyes child."

Sayer _won't_ give up.

Her hand covered his eyes. "And disappear."

* * *

Akiza watched Jaden and Alexis fly in and out of her room. Sometimes, it'd be to bring her something to do, whether it be to watch a horror movie, or to play a simple game of chess, neither of whom could grasp the strategic implications of the game. Other times, they'd just sit in her room and talk about anything, discussing philosophical thoughts they found confusion, describing the idiocy of the current government structure (Jaden), or merely asking why cotton candy was pink (Alexis), and why it tasted so sweet. Despite the fatigue she felt after each incidence, Akiza still entertained them.

She didn't know what else to do; the question she asked before, the confusion she held just hours after she woke up, was now the furthest thing from her mind. The frustration died away from her, as the her own tiredness gradually overcame her, her own will slipping through her mind.

Throughout the day, Akiza kept staring at the spider-lilies resting against her wall. A small, white ribbon dangled from the stem, the pristine edges growing lighter and lighter by the hour. The thin, delicate petals swayed to the tunes of an artificial breeze.

She scrutinized them for the longest time, before turning back to the door. She could hear their footsteps resonating from down the hallway. She clutched her sheets, and turned toward the window, particles of light dancing around the edges of the afternoon twilight. Soon enough, she heard the door creak open. From a distance, she saw the two come into the room, with triumphant smiles across their faces, smiles she couldn't help but return.

It's funny; they were both incredibly smart, but for some reason, they could never remember what moves failed the last time, nor could they even begin to familiarize themselves with the traps she so obviously sets for them. It was hilarious too, to see them bicker about concepts Akiza already understood.

"We've figured it out!" Alexis chimed happily.

Akiza blinked. "Figured out what?"

"And it's not gonna work!" Alexis continued, that familiar, vacant expression coming across her face Akiza could practically see her question go through one ear and come out the other. Apparently, Jaden saw it too, and he shrugged. "She thinks she can beat you this time."

 _"_ _We_ think _we_ can beat you this time."

"I'm not apart of this."

The two picked up with their endless bickering, with age-old arguments resurfacing. Akiza settled back in her pillow, and turned back to the bright red flowers staring back at her, their mournful shadows softly drifting through the quiet. She felt the chessboard plop onto the bed, and before she knew it, she saw Alexis sitting in front of her, with an expectant grin on her face. "What color?" she pressed.

Akiza looked down, the familiar pieces gazing up at her. Even now, she could still make out her reflection, the sharp edges, once again, taunting her, with all their fragmented vanity.

 _Have you heard the name Amaryllis Nite before?_

"Who is she?"

Jaden turned toward her, while Alexis moved the chessboard so that Akiza played black. "What?"

Akiza found one hand moving toward a black pawn, one that was positioned directly in front of the king. However, she hesitated. She stared at the board again, before addressing the confused air. "Who was Amaryllis Nite?"

Silence draped across the room. Shock enveloped their faces, as she knew it would. She closed her eyes, then stole a glance towards Alexis's side. White was supposed to go first.

"Nite?" Alexis finally asked.

"That's right. I was just wondering if either of you knew who that was."

"Where'd you hear that name?" Jaden asked stiffly.

They weren't very fond of Raines, were they? So Akiza shrugged, as she relayed all the possible moves Alexis could've made on her own. "I read it in the library," she lied effortlessly, not even bothering to take in their reactions. "It was in the occult section. It seemed like something you'd both be interested in, so I figured…"

Jaden looked taken back. "Okay, first of all; _Alexis_ is into all that. I'm normal."

Alexis glared at him. "Hey!"

"And secondly, why are _you_ interested?" he continued, as he leaned against the wall. "It's not like it affects you in any way."

"Just curious is all. Alexis, make a move."

The girl stared at her for a while, then looked down. "R-right."

"So, have you heard of her?"

Jaden folded his arms across his chest. His dark gaze shifted towards the brightly lit windows, the quiet that enveloped the three now coming undone. "I have," he said finally. "I heard she was a witch."

"Really?"

"Some village idiots burned her at the stake."

She moved her pawn, Alexis. Afterwards, she looked up, and waited patiently for Akiza to make her move. Only after a moment of contemplation, Akiza moved her pawn, two squares to the left. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah…"

"Salem Witch Trials, right?"

He shook his head. "No. Back in the 1600s, there was a massive witch hunt across Europe. A lot of innocent people died."

"Did she have anyone else with her?"

"What?"

"You know, other people?" Akiza clarified, all the while chuckling at Alexis's wandering eyes. When the blonde smiled, Akiza could already see the disorganized trap, just waiting for her to escape. Alexis really did need a poker face. "A coven, if you will."

"I don't think she did." he quickly answered, his eyes narrowing. "Where's all this coming from?"

"I heard she was the original Black Rose," Akiza answered, as Alexis forced another pawn forward. She'll be going for the knight next, that much Akiza knew. She's probably trying to free up her bishop, and then, if she got the chance, slaughter the king. That, however, was a fatal move on its own. "And since there were terrorists running around before, I just wanted to know a little more."

"What does history have to do with anything?"

"Everything."

"Aki."

"They've had to get the symbol from somewhere," Akiza explained, moving her knight to counteract Alexis's pawn. That girl might try freeing her queen next, though that'd leave her own king defenseless. "And I doubt they're going to copy some duelist with the same name, right? That's just too easy."

Jaden smirked, as he watched Alexis move her bishop. "What? You think those terrorists were the ghosts of those innocent witches? The descendants trying to get revenge for their ancestors?"

Akiza laughed emptily. "I suppose."

"Come on Aki; you're supposed to be done with all that, remember? Dark Signers and all that? You're supposed to live a normal life now."

"I could say the same for you."

"Huh?"

 _His full name is Nikolai Izinski, and he's got ties with the Senator._

She smiled at him. "What with the antics you two get yourselves into, I'm surprised you call yourself normal."

"Hah!" Alexis cried. "Check!"

Akiza switched the rook and king, creating a simplistic trap for the blonde into. Sure enough, it worked, and Akiza's queen ended up taking the bishop. It was funny, seeing her hopeful face falter like that. Jaden scoffed. "What? Like you're one to talk?"

"Fair point. How about Nikolai?"

"Nikolai?"

She nodded. "There's talk that about someone named Nikolai Izinski. From what I've heard, he's supported the Arcadia Movement from day one."

Jaden paused for a brief moment, trying to read an unreadable light in Akiza's eyes. "I thought you were done with those guys."

"I am."

"So why-?"

"If people found out about it, the police would think we were related or something."

He laughed lightly. "Just because two people have the same last name, doesn't mean they're related."

"Normally, yes. But considering how corrupt our government is…"

"I've got no idea who that is."

"Really?"

"Aki-?"

Akiza smirked. Carefully, she took Alexis's piece and set it aside, the utter look of despair on the girl's face a testament to her sensitivity. Akiza surveyed the board. If she moved that next pawn, Akiza can take it out with her knight. Then of course, her defenses were still strong, and so far her queen can move. If it does, that'd leave Akiza at a disadvantage. If she could move her rook, it'd make things easier. Ah, she didn't see that before; it looks like Alexis was getting a little better, though of course, not by much.

"So you're concerned then?" he asked. "I mean, with your dad being the senator and all that…"

"Yeah," she said, continuing to see through Alexis's clearly rash movements. "I was in the Arcadia Movement, and knowing the public, I don't want to hurt Papa's image anymore than I already have. You think Nikolai Izinski could be just an alias?"

"Maybe. I mean, unless you've got some long lost cousin we've never met, then yeah, it's plausible."

 _They had aliases too. Christoph and Arisé Izinski._

"But still, you shouldn't worry too much about it," he assured, traces of comfort entwined within his voice. "That Movement is done, so I doubt anyone will go poking around." He fell silent suddenly, as he leaned over Alexis's shoulder. "Why'd you do that?"

Alexis blinked. "Do what?"

"That. If you do, then-"

"Check," Akiza said easily, as she maneuvered her knight toward the piece. Alexis's lips parted slightly, as she did a double-take on the board. She bit her lip, and moved her king out of the way.

Akiza cocked her head, before moving her rook out to greet the king. "Check," she repeated, knowing full well Alexis had no place else to go.

Alexis sighed frustratedly, as she sat back, clenching both sides of the board. "I can't believe it; I thought that strategy was supposed to work."

"What strategy?"

Jaden chuckled. "Told you it wouldn't work."

"Bite me," Alexis muttered. "You didn't do anything."

"I tried helping you."

"Yeah, with one move."

"A very _important_ move."

Akiza smiled satisfyingly, before looking up at the two, the sincerity in her grin slowly fading. "You're both glad that I left the Movement?"

Alexis peeked up. "Of course! I mean, the leader was arrested, wasn't he? It's better for you to stay away from people like that."

"Really?"

Naively, the girl nodded. "Well yeah! You've got your whole life ahead of you, don't you?"

"…I see."

Jaden stared at the board for a bit longer, before sighing. He kissed Alexis on the cheek, then straightened himself. He turned his heel, and headed out the door. "Hey," he called back, "I'm gonna go get something to eat. Want anything?"

"I've stashed some sodas in the fridge," Alexis supplied helpfully. She turned to Akiza, and, with eager eyes, pleaded for another game.

Akiza simply nodded.

She took care to see Alexis reseting the board, chatting on and on about whatever else was in her mind. All the while, she stared at the blossoming, crimson flowers, now enticed by the darkened light ahead.

* * *

Yusei could feel their frustrated gazes surrounding him, their uneven desperations dispersed throughout the crowd. Though fear resonated from within the air, there was a certain seriousness entwined within it. Their thoughts were scattered, but everyone came here under a certain goal.

More of their numbers were being picked off every day, and unless the nobles did something about, territories would rise up and rebel. They'd fortify themselves, and the elites would lose the only influence they had. Of course, pride had something to do with it too, but that was beside the point.

Yusei came to the center of his impatient audience, all eyes on him, the tension shrouding his intentions behind a polite, formal frown. A black, thin sweater covered his frame, with tattered sleeves and chains hanging from the fabric. Dark jeans hugged his legs, his bare feet touching the golden, sophisticated ground. The same, black rose was strapped to his neck, the flower immediately attracting the attention of everyone in the room. He stopped for a moment, before shoving his hands in his pockets, and regarding the nobles with the strictest scrutiny.

No doubt everyone was on edge, especially with the Black Rose's sudden return. From the looks on their faces, it seems no one planned on following his orders from the very beginning, to leave the innocent out of this. Then of course, no one wanted to speak up and confront him about the order, even if they knew it went against this society of theirs. It was strange, how they believed themselves to be speaking earnestly, even when their actions were anything but. It was as if they were all waiting for another one of their competitors to fall, before facing him, trying to see if there was some angle they could work, some ridiculous notion that if they attacked on a certain time, a certain day, if they could separate him from Akiza, that somehow, someway, they would get the title.

 _Monster._

Yusei turned his gaze to the empty space in front of him. "I thought I'd made myself clear," he began, "that you were not to endanger the innocent."

"Salem told us what was going on," one of the members stated. "That girl…she's not normal, is she?"

"Correct."

"You lied to us!" another screamed. "You said she was just a regular duelist!"

"Ophelia said that," he rectified. "And don't you remember? I specifically told you all, that if I was right, this game will end with the whole lot of you dead."

"This thing is rigged!" a man protested. "If you're just gonna keep springing stuff like this on us, how the hell are we supposed to win?!"

Winning, huh?

Is that all these people care about?

In that same second, he took a single step forward, causing everyone to back away. His eyes grew icy, the coldness of his subtle emptiness slowly taking form. He looked up, and, with a cruel smile, scoffed. "I'm here, aren't I?"

The offender clenched his fists. "Damn bastard…"

"Excuse me?"

"Like hell we'll obey-!"

And suddenly, he collapsed.

Bleeding here and there.

With nothing but his screams to satisfy the witch's pain.

Yusei stepped back, as he watched the man fall before him, his eyes wide with fear and shock. Before long, he turned back, an air of terrifying superiority surrounding him. "This is your last chance," Yusei stated emotionlessly. "Disobey me again, and you will all forfeit your candidacies. Understand?"

"W-what?!"

"Isn't that what you wanted us though?!"

"Why else would we disobey you?"

"It's Sam's fault! And he's dead, isn't it?! That should be enough!"

"On the contrary," Yusei hissed, causing everyone in the room to fall silent. "Sam's little stunt gave us more attention than we need."

"B-but what about-?!"

Yusei tuned out the rest of the members' protests. As of this point, they were only hindrances. There was no possible way he could utilize them; they barely made good jesters, in this decadent court of his.

He only stole his eyes down to the shadow on the ground, following the slightest movements without any hesitation.

He was late.


	44. Chapter 44

The low, dim lights along the night sky gave little reprieve to the lonely, graceful atmosphere shrouding him. Golden, scorching lights came from the ceiling above, the tall, glass windows doing little to absorb the harsh reflections. Iron rails supported the windows, along with large, circular columns which gave way to the high, elegant cielings soaring above the grounds. Though barely visible, he could still make out the plethora of cherubs descending below the walls, the dark, golden curtains easily hiding the large, ostentatious chandelier dangling from above. Tables upon tables sat near each other, the low candlelight sitting in the middle giving way to another arrogant display of wealth and arrogance. Yusei stood there for the longest time, before making his way into the restaurant.

An aristocratic air shrouded the guests. Yusei passed through elegant dresses and tuxedos, all of which looked uncomfortable, all of which had little to do anything but the raw, bloody meat slapped in front of them. Jewelry gleamed vivaciously within a sea of blinding lights, and to accompany that, haughty laughter only he would understand. Within the shadows, he saw servants crossing paths with that same, desperate look in their eyes, as they pondered on the consequences of what would happen, should they fail their duties tonight. Blurs of black swept pass him, as they repeated their orders to themselves aimlessly, never minding the strange looks they'd gotten from him.

And yet, somehow, despite the obvious fact that everyone, wealthy and poor alike, were busy with something, they still managed to catch sight of the new Turbo King, who was standing in the middle of the restaurant. At first, there was silence, the very fact that Yusei Fudo himself was here proving more and more impossible with each passing second. However, whispers immediately erupted when he started walking again. He kept his eyes ahead of him, an even gaze embedded within his pupils until finally, he came to a large, glass door. He narrowed his eyes, and pushed it open.

The balcony was pristine, to say the least. Cool, marble tiles covered the ground, and iron railings surrounded the delicate structure, its prideful carvings displayed for everyone to see. Two fragile, verdant plants were settled on either side of the doors, evergreens, it seems. When he looked up, he saw a dark, moonless sky, filled with clouds shielding innocent stars from the world below. He took in the scene for a moment. Before long, his eyes wandered over to a young woman, who sat at a lone circular table in the middle of the balcony.

A white candle sat near the edge of the table, with withered flowers of every kind suffocatingly wrapped around it. A red dress covered her frame, and a small, black jacket she wore over her shoulders. Her blond hair was braided the same way it's always been, though for some reason, he still couldn't get used to the pink ribbon she now happily wore. Her green, predatory eyes scrutinized him, and he returned her questioning glare with ease. Slowly, he started towards her, his instincts already screaming at him to run.

When he came nearer, he made out two tiny wine glasses filled with bloody wine set near the candle. Their pristine conditions reflecting back his own, uncomfortable face. He bit the inside of his cheek, as he looked back up.

"Belletrix," he finally said.

His older sister smirked, as she settled back in her seat. Both hands lay on her lap neatly, with the same, formal smile he's always known. After a brief second, her eyes fell to the chair in front of her. "You're late," she replied.

"I wasn't sure if I wanted to go." Yusei carefully set himself across from her. His eyes never left hers, knowing full well the risks he was taking should he do so. "So, I hear you're a reporter now?"

She nodded satisfyingly. "For the WGGK. Congratulations, by the way, on becoming the new Turbo King. Honestly Nikolai-"

"Yusei."

"Excuse me?"

He relayed to her an emotionless stare, the depths of his irritation waiting to be released. "I go by Yusei now."

She scoffed. "Why?"

"You know why. And besides, I like it."

Belletrix cocked her head, an irritated smile plastered on her lips. "I take it you aren't happy to see me."

"What gave it away?"

"But as much as I love annoying you," she continued, brushing aside Yusei's snide comment, "I'm here on official business." She examined her fingernails then, a wary light entwined in her orbs. "I'm sure you understand."

He folded his arms across his chest, and regarded his sister evenly. "You're here because of that thing then?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"To anyone else, no."

Her shoulders relaxed. "I'm relieved," she muttered, keeping on as if there'd been no animosity between the two. "You were always a lot smarter than I gave you credit for. Well, both you and Christoph, but never mind that now."

She closed her eyes, and for a brief moment, he could see her weary frame shudder, the lines upon her face a testament to the centuries she'd been alive. Carefully, she leaned over, the strain from the corner of her eyes now visible. "If you know about her, then I trust you're already aware of the rumors."

He stiffened. "Like?"

She raised a delicate eyebrow. "Apparently, you've got a concubine now. A young woman, by the name of Akiza Izinski?"

Yusei froze. He quietly digested Belletrix's words, all the while endeavoring to smoothly remove his hesitation from his mind. At this point, he shouldn't be surprised; after all, there were bound to be a few spies hidden within the coven. And besides which, if Belletrix, of all people, managed to pinpoint who Akiza was, there was a good chance that the spy who relayed the information to sister dearest was already in the game. He didn't have time to comb through each and every candidate, but the again, there was not much else he could do. Jaden and Alexis were going to have to weed them out.

 _What about the game? Are you really going to keep playing it?_

"I'm sure you've put the pieces together Nikolai," Belletrix continued, turning her attention to the darkening skies overhead. "Not even Amrbosine could come up with another demon as perfect as her."

"Since you're so informed," Yusei interrupted agitatedly, "I'm going to assume you know the circumstances."

"The fact that you're the leader of that disgusting coven remains evident enough."

Yusei clenched his sleeves; he remembered that smirk on her face, the prideful smile she used whenever she knew she was going to get something done, no matter how brutal her methods. He always hated that smirk, knowing full well what came after it. "Then you should also know that _Akiza_ is dead."

"Oh? After what you've seen, you're still saying that?"

"What exactly do you want here, _sister_?" he scowled, annoyed by her smug smile. "Does Fallen have anything to do with this?"

"Isn't that why I'm here?"

"Then what about Jaden?" he demanded. "Why couldn't he recognize you?"

" _Christoph_ is dead, _Nikolai_ ," Belletrix corrected, causing him to fall silent. The denial in her voice was incredibly strong, so strong Yusei couldn't help but wonder if the strong image she'd cultivated for herself was eroding. "The boy I saw today was just a fragment of him; that's all. _You,_ on the other hand, still have a chance."

He blinked. "What?"

She regarded him evenly, the simplest traces of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "It's already too late for Christoph. You're different though. You-"

"You still haven't answered me."

"- _aren't_ as idiotic, nor are you as naive. Don't forget, I was Fallen's leader, and because we're siblings, I share the same power as you. I can toy with memories too, if I so desire."

"Akiza was stronger than you," he cut, relishing in the impossible quiet settling over the two. "And besides which, I'm the Black Rose. I can annihilate you, if I wanted to."

"On the contrary, my dear brother," Belletrix smirked. "I've still got Fallen. And just because that little _witch_ annihilated the major branches, doesn't mean the organization is done. As you can see, my successor did well for herself, don't you think?"

"So is that all this was? You're offering me an ultimatum?"

"That's right." She straightened herself, and gave him a withering smile. "I've already waited for so long, and after what'd happened with Mree, I'd rather that witch not get in my way again."

"How many times have I told you?"

"Then why is she here? Why, in this idiotic illusion of hers?"

He clenched his teeth. He remembered what Jaden said, how he looked when he found Aki's name in the files. After a while, Belletrix closed her eyes and continued, a somewhat skeptical smile forming on her face. "Come with me. This coven is in ruins anyways."

"There was a new member in Fallen."

"Pardon?"

He tensed. "A new member, by the name of Amaryllis Nite."

"You already know her, don't you?"

Yusei replayed the scene in his head over and over again. He could still see her there, reaching out to him, that gruesome order still escaping from her lips. He could clearly see the bullet shattering her fragile skull, the tears cascading down his face as he left her body there, the resonance of her words pounding against his head. He could very well see his Akiza in this girl, the menacing similarities stabbing him helplessly. The hypocritical insult she relayed to him, as well as the remarks she's made with the chessboard, proved to seal any doubt he had left of her. He wanted to believe she was just another experiment Fallen had made, in order to toy with him. He wanted to believe she was a girl who'd get in his way again, the way she carried herself having little to do with the innocence his two Queens kept insisting that she had.

But that memory stayed in the back of his mind, refusing to leave, refusing to go anywhere, for that matter. There was no way it could, even as he stood there, trying to refute its existence. He saw Akiza, and then he saw Aki.

And he saw the bullet, which ended her life.

He stood, and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Fortunately, I'm going to have to reject your offer."

Belletrix's eye twitched. "Nikolai, as far as I'm concerned, that coven is holding you back. It's going to die out anyways, what with the way things have been going-"

"It's fine."

"But-"

"I just have one question though, before I go." He turned to back to Belletrix, with cold, callous eyes. A small, empty frown grazed his lips. The very fact that she was here, asking him to return to Fallen was suspicious enough as is, but to simply come out and talk with him, here, in front of innocents…

Belletrix glared at him, removing him from his thoughts. "What is it?" she asked.

"Why now? Why come back?"

She fell silent.

Yusei shoved his hands in his pockets, the cold, endless skies staring him down. "Even after all this time, you should've known what my answer was going to be."

She gripped her wine glass. "And what if I offered to save you? From her, from the coven, even from your own damn arrogance? If I said that I could save you, would you come with me?"

"No," he answered easily. He remembered traces of that an empty promise, echoing through the back of his head. He could only smile sadly then, as he relished in those moments, of when he still hoped that somehow, Akiza's silly words would come true. It was then he chuckled a bit. "I'd rather not risk my own damnation for something as stupid as that."

Belletrix's eyes hardened then. She folded both hands in front of her, the remaining traces of warmth disappearing from her features. "A shame then."

"Perhaps."


	45. Chapter 45

She was at the desk in her office, impatiently waiting on whatever mundane excitement the new station would go on about today. Her eyes scanned her computer, the latest news erupting with recent scandals that've already lost her attention. Apparently, one of the politicians was having an affair with his secretary. His wife had just found out, and was now crying her eyes out for it. Meanwhile, her protective older brother was currently screaming on the camera, demanding to know where the lowlife bastard was, threatening that if he ever showed his face around his sister again, brother dearest would personally "gut him like a damn fish." Amusingly, no one dared come toward him, not even Sector Security. She couldn't help but smirk, before shutting her computer off, and looking out at the empty space.

It'd been three days, since negotiations broke down.

Three days since Nikolai left her.

"Ms. Raines?" an innocent voice asked from behind her closed door.

Belletrix donned her formal frown. "Come in," she ordered, as she relaxed at the sound of that familiar voice. After a few moments of silence, the door creaked open, and she found Belial standing in front of her, with a tiny grin plastered across his face. It only took her a split second to understand what he'd done.

She folded her arms across her chest, settling back into her seat. "I can use Mr. Atlas then?"

"You can, along with Mr. Hogan" Belial replied quietly, uncertainty emanating from his normally confident tone. "Are you sure you don't want me to get the other Signers?"

"No, those two will do. The twins have no prior connection to either Nikolai or Amaryllis. If I kill them, I doubt they'd feel anything."

Belial shifted his weight uncomfortably. Belletrix briefly flickered her eyes towards him, then smiled. "And what about Amrbosine?" she asked. "Does she know about any of this?"

"No ma'am."

"But you've already sent out the coordinates?"

"Yes ma'am."

"And you've given the coven my invitation?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Then what is it?" she pressed, as she straightened herself. She could practically see Belial breaking down before her, his mental state crumbling at the seams. She mustered whatever false, disillusioned warmth she felt for any of her siblings, and gave it half-heartedly to Belial, who was, as of this point, shaken by her 'concern.' "Is everything alright?"

"I…no, ma'am. Everything's fine."

"Belial."

He lowered his gaze, confusion decorating his ugly features. Finally, he took a deep breath, and looked back up. "Please, kill the Black Rose."

Belletrix narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"The man is a monster," the subordinate murmured fearfully, causing her to fall silent. "He hasn't said anything to the aristocracy, and as of this point, not even the Queens know what he's going to do next. I've seen this before, ma'am, and frankly, I believe he's planning on killing the lot of them."

"Of course he is," Belletrix replied, boredom briefly crossing her face. "It's been on his mind from the moment he started that silly game. At some point, he's going to-"

"I'm sorry ma'am, but he isn't just going to kill the candidates," Belial pressed. "He's going to massacre everyone. _Including_ Ms. Izinski."

 _That_ got Belletrix's attention.

Slowly, she stood, her heightened senses making out the meticulous panic set in Belial's pulse. "Is there any proof?" she demanded.

"I've…the hospital discovered both arsenic and cyanide in her IV treatments. And the fact that he's carelessly placed Ms. Izinski in danger…he's even made her a target in that sick game of his! Ms. Alteo, please-!"

She couldn't make out anything of what the man was saying, as she dove into a relief she thought she'd forgotten. Irrational euphoria recklessly poured into her veins, along with an adrenaline she hadn't felt in the longest time. She thought back on Belial's words, on how affectionate her younger brother seemed with his latest toy. She thought back on how he guarded her, with that idiotic, puppy-dog smile lodged on his face. She thought back on how infatuated he was with her, the devilish siren tempting him without the slightest mercy.

And then she laughed.

She clutched her ribs tightly, the very depiction of Nikolai strangling the duelist leaving no end to the amusement. She cold just see the light fading from the girl's eyes, the helpless cries still in her throat, as she begged her sweetheart to stop. She could see traces of that insanity embedded in Nikolai's eyes, his own fangs baring down at her with predatory menace. She could see the humiliation filling that witch's eyes, the very revelation that her own subordinate was attacking her, tearing her apart from the inside out, more than enough for her to risk dying of embarrassment.

"M-ma'am…"

"Are…are you…are you _serious_?!" she suddenly screeched.

"…I-I-"

"All this time…all this time he's kept protecting her, and now…now he's just gonna kill her! Just like that!"

Belial merely stood there, and watched, dumbfounded by the unspoken humor draped meticulously around the reporter's shaking frame. "Y-yes," he said at last. "Yes, I believe he is planning on killing her, as well as-"

"I guess he was always too sensitive for his own good," she interrupted, her light chuckles still escaping from her lips. "Ah, I almost feel sorry for him. To just break down like that, and after just a simple meeting…"

"Ma'am?"

Belletrix swirled her icy gaze toward Belial, causing him to stop. Slowly, she lifted her finger, and hovered over toward the right side of her neck. "You've invited Nikolai's friends to the banquet tomorrow, didn't you?"

"I-I did."

"And Ms. Izinski, I take it, will be there too?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Then I'm shutting down this experiment."

Belial blinked. "What?"

"I've learned all that I needed to here," she said happily, as she took those old hospital files from the shelf. She twisted around and threw them in the trash, unable to keep down a relieved smile from her lips. "There's no point keeping the test subjects now, is there?"

* * *

Yusei had always bordered on suicidal.

But this…

This was _bad._

Jaden towered over the chessboard, his dark eyes surveying over the black and white pawns, all of whom surrounded each other, suffocating each other to no end. He forced himself to analyze the impossibly difficult moves, all the while trying so hard not to count their grievous losses that were sitting just on the outside of the board. The sleek, black surfaces of the captured pawns reflected back Jaden's own discomfort, as he endeavored finding a way to salvage the hopeless situation. And yet, no matter what he did, he found himself sighing over and over again, knowing full well how pathetic it was to try and fix everything. It wasn't long before he finally slammed both hands on the table, some of the white pieces falling as he did.

It'd been two days since the last coven meeting, two days since Yusei killed that noble. So many of the aristocrats were already on edge, and though a majority of the covens still remained loyal to him, even _they_ were beginning to question his brother's leadership. They haven't mounted any major attacks against Fallen, haven't even begun to break through their ranks. And yet, somehow, the organization had decimated theirs, nearly managing to kill Yusei once, in this silly little game. From an outsider's point of view, it seemed that Yusei was trying to destroy the coven from the inside-out. If it weren't for Yusei's growing mental instability, Jaden would've sided with the rest of the pawns.

Jaden closed his eyes, fighting the urge to check his phone for the umpteenth time today. He hasn't heard anything back from Yusei, nor has Raines even bothered trying to contact them. Normally, she'd be screaming at either he or Alexis, asking them about the progress they were making on the case. But what;s more, the fact that the reporter also came to give Akiza flowers, amaryllises, of all things, was still another thing to be considered.

 _You haven't seen her anywhere else?_

"Dammit Yusei," Jaden muttered murderously, as he turned his attention to the three black pawns, all of which were sitting in the middle of the board. "What're you trying to pull?"

"Bald," a far-off voice sang.

Jaden jolted with surprise, his annoyance instantly vanishing at from the atmosphere. After a brief pause, his gaze fell to the white table cloth dangling from the edge. Hastily, he lifted it, and found Alexis squatting there, both hands cupped over her mouth.

He stared at her for a split second, before narrowing his eyes. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I should ask you the same thing," she replied seriously. She crawled out of the tiny space, the hem of her skirt sweeping across the wooden floorboards. "You missed class today," she reminded then. "And apparently, so did Aki."

He shrugged, as he turned his attention back to the board. "I don't blame her. With all the craziness that's happened, she probably just needs breather. Besides, she's exempted from finals, remember?"

Alexis blinked. Her eyes fell towards the silent, black phone, sitting next to Jaden, mocking them both in all its arrogance. "Nothing?"

He scowled. "Not a thing. Seriously, Yusei needs to get his shit together; we don't have a lot of time here."

The girl crouched down, and examined the pieces. "What makes you say that?"

"For starters, we're surrounded. We won't get anywhere if we keep playing this game. The other coven members are starting to doubt Yusei's legitimacy. We've still got support from our allies, but at this rate…"

He stopped, not even wanting to finish the sentence.

"We don't need them."

Jaden looked back at Alexis, surprise overtaking his features. "What?"

"We've handled ourselves before without them," Alexis said quietly, as she stroked the three black pieces. Jaden followed her fingers, her naiveté translating to memories of the bloodstained crimson she left on the battlefield. "We did it before, didn't we?"

"Akiza was with us, remember? She gave us our orders."

"All we have to do was kill and kill and kill," the girl continued, not even hearing Jaden's interjection. "Destroy everything until there's nothing left. That was how it usually worked, didn't it?"

"You mean _you_ did that," Jaden reminded carefully, reaching out for the three pawns; they can't move there either. "Akiza's plans were a lot more complicated than that."

"How?"

"You were on the front lines." Jaden's finger hovered toward the piece in front, his mind piecing together the aspects of what was once Akiza's incoherent, somewhat risky measure. "And I would hack into the systems, just to stir things up. Yusei would play hostage, but if peace talks turned sour, he'd kill that leader, just out of spite. Sometimes, we'd fight with you. Other times, we couldn't go anywhere, unless Akiza changed her orders. Don't you remember that?"

"No."

Jaden shrugged. He reached out and ruffled Alexis's hair, before returning to the board, sorrow covering his expression. "Figures," he whispered quietly.

"But when you put it like that, it makes you wonder how she ever did anything without us."

Jaden closed his eyes. He remembered how scared Belletrix was, when either he or Yusei mentioned the Black Rose. He remembered how easily the witch eliminated Fallen's major branches, the very instance of chaos surrounding the woman in devastating enigma. He remembered how panicked his own scientists were, as they tried time and time again to produce the newest line of Fallen's demons, without so much as a thought as to whether or not they'd be obedient. He remembered it all, and then he chuckled emptily.

"I guess she got tired of being alone is all," was what came out of his mouth then.

"You're lying."

"Huh?"

"Whenever you lie, you sound really weird." Alexis stood up, and flicked her steel orbs towards Jaden's phone.

"How so?"

"You sound a lot darker. Aki did that too, but she wasn't nearly as noticeable. I bet I do that, except my voice gets higher."

"…And you're not going to bother to fix it?"

"No," she said quietly. "I like the flaw."

"Why?"

"It makes me feel more human."

Just then, the phone rang.

Jaden jumped, his nails scratching the surface of the desk as he did, Quickly, his eyes sped back down to his phone. Without reading the caller ID, he picked up the tiny device, placed it against his ear, and said, "Hello?"

No answer.

"Hello?" he pressed, more urgently this time. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Alexis shifting towards him, her cheek resting against his fingers.

"…Is Alexis with you?"

"Yusei!" Jaden breathed, fighting down a sigh of relief. "Where the hell are you?!"

"Is Alexis with you?" the witch repeated, a more determined tone set within his voice.

His lips parted slightly, as slowly, he lowered the phone. Hesitation permeated from his throat, though somehow, Jaden managed to answer/ "Y-yeah," he said. "She is."

"Good," Yusei muttered curtly. "Tomorrow night, I want you both to meet me at the Miyaki Hotel, at seven."

Jaden flinched at the ice in his tone. He knew full well to keep his mouth shut, but even then, it didn't seem Alexis caught onto the warning. "What for?" she asked. "Are we meeting with someone?"

"No," he said simply.

Jaden narrowed his eyes. "What about the other covens? And the game-?"

"Let me take care of that."

* * *

She remembered walking through the abandoned, empty streets. Flickering light posts gave little way to the darkness surrounding her, though the bright, ghastly moon managing to light her way somehow. Her footsteps came away from the tiny puddles overhead, the sorrowful reflections coming back up to her forlorn eyes. Her fingers scraped the wet stone, tiny traces of stone callously breaking away from the edifices. Traces of the evening starlight still shown through the skies, though as of that point, she didn't think it was incredibly important, whether or not she could see her way. If anything, she didn't shy away from those menacing shadows anymore, nor did she turn away, the disgust once so clearly embedded in her features now faded within the midst of time. Rather, a soft resignation brimmed from her eyes, her foreboding quiet now endeavoring to leave her. Akiza took only a single moment to survey her surroundings, taking in the dim, dancing silhouettes from a quiet, subtle rainstorm that'd passed overhead, before she turned away.

How long has it been, since she last saw Jaden, or Alexis, or even Yusei? How long since she even got to talk with the twins, or any of the other guys? She knew she should be there with them, though tension still coated the atmosphere. She should be there, learning everything she could about turbo dueling, supporting the guys like attempting to make herself useful somehow. She should be sitting in front of the TV, watching some celebrity scandal Angela was covering. She should be talking endlessly on the phone with some of her other friends, trying to, at the very least, coax them into doing their homework, with the same, threatening tone Jaden used on Alexis. She should be dancing to the sounds of her beloved ambience, without any regard for the people that had to listen to her awful singing.

Yet instead, she was here, walking through some neglected section of the former Satellite, with a single, black umbrella in hand. Her red pumps carried her throughout the streets, remnants of an old construction site slowly grazing the corners of her eyes. She could smell the rust coming off from the metal, the iron beams eroding away at the thought the rainstorm from before. The sounds of her heels resounded throughout the site, the cool, humid breeze slipping past her with ease. Her dark red bangs brushed past her face as she continued on, her golden eyes fixed to the ground.

Her skull kept pounding as she continued on her way. Though it was faint, she was beginning to recall the moments of a fake car accident, which left her lying in the hospital. She started remembering the tiny animals that bared their fangs at her, their whimpers reminding her of simplistic, lost children. She could even remember a familiar voice speaking to her, within those hallways, a cool presence that drowned out the sensation of those nightmarish, hellish lights. Although her brain still told her that the incidents were nothing more than bad dreams, dreams that'd disappear if Akiza would only allow them too, she held onto them. She didn't want to lose them, as she had with so many other moments. She didn't want to be trapped, desensitized to the tragedies around her, the very instance of chaos eluding her like so.

Blurs of shapes past her subtly, their hazy outlines barely reaching her eyes. Her breaths became a bit shallow, as she kept on her way. Yusei told her that he didn't want to say anything, that he was just playing along with her false delusions, until she was ready to face her real memories. If anything, he probably just wanted to help her get through whatever she was dealing with, and he was willing to lie to her to do it. He genuinely thought he could help her by doing it, even if his behavior was completely abnormal, especially for him. No, Akiza would expect Sayer to pull something like this, but with Yusei…

And what of Jaden and Alexis? They were a bit more genuine than Yusei, even more so than Akiza was with herself.

Yet all the same, she knew full well they were hiding something, no matter how small it was. From the looks of things, it seemed they didn't know much about it either. Even still, they chose to protect their little secret; it was as if they were protecting a world not even they had the courage to tread in, safeguarding some beloved sin neither one knew how to get rid of, or even some condemnation they chose to accept as part of their own being, never ones to bother with foreign concepts such as acceptance or benevolence.

They were scared, in Akiza's eyes.

 _Amaryllis Nite,_ was what came into her mind then.

Angela was curious about her, and though she fed Akiza that story, of how she was so worried that Alexis and Jaden were falling into the wrong crowd, Akiza found it hard to believe. Whenever Jaden talked about the reporter, he only ever had horrible things to say about her; he, after all, wasn't one to hide his disdain for others either. But despite her suspicions, she believed that somehow, someway, everything was connected to that name.

Then there were those characters, all of which shared her surname; she doubted Angela knew anything, considering the fact she had to turn to Akiza for information. Still, to think that there were people who would use her own family name for their own gains…yes, that happened a lot recently, but Akiza didn't think her papa was _that_ famous. No one paid much attention to politics these days.

But the names seemed to fit.

She stopped at that instant, a small, nostalgic smile playing upon her lips. "Izinski," she muttered to herself. "Christoph and Arisé Izinski…"

She immediately frowned.

She didn't like those names.

No, not at all.

She could feel her own power unsettle at the mention of those names, the frustration building from inside her stomach. Confusion briefly splayed upon her face, but it wasn't long before even that faded from her completely. A hard, cruel weight quickly came into her chest, slowly pushing out all the breath in her lungs. She bit the inside of her cheek, as she relayed those names in her mind over and over and over again.

And then there was Nikolai.

Nikolai Izinski.

Shimmers of light carefully shrouded around her, the cool night latching onto her skin. Ominous clouds came overhead, bearing down at her miserably as they gathered each other for one, final maelstrom.

A name, in which only she could despise.

A representation of everything she detested in life, a depiction of the people she'd lost, the compassion she failed to comprehend, the kindness she could barely feel for, much less repay. A long forgotten secret she was supposed to have stolen from both Jaden, and Alexis.

A promise, she made to someone so very long ago, a promise that would've saved that someone, that would've made Akiza understand what it was she was missing, what it was she had to see through her own eyes.

But she got rid of that name, didn't she?

 _Akiza._

"Shut up," she heard herself say.

 _You're gonna be alright._

"Quiet," she said, in a harder voice.

Yes, she had.

"…bine."

Beneath crimson skies.

"…ing bitch…!"

With that same gun, pointed at her.

Suddenly, a sharp tug dragged her back. Akiza hissed sharply, as the umbrella dropped to the ground. Instinctively, her nails plunged into her attacker's hand, though it didn't serve to do much of anything. Strands of hair poured out from the aggressor's fist, and when Akiza finally mustered the courage to open her eyes, all her fear instantly disappeared. The only thing she saw was bright, red roses, all latched onto their throats.

"Kill her…done, right?"

"…the witch said…"

"Hey…conscious…"

"Hey…!"

Akiza clenched her teeth, as she trained her amber eyes toward the black, obsidian clouds up above. She regarded them for the longest time, as they forced her on her knees, a loud crack echoing from her ears.

And at that moment, he was there.

Screaming.

Crying.

Shouting for her over and over again.

She clenched her fists. She kept shaking the delusions away, as they closed in on her, their bloodstained claws suffocating her own throat. Though she refused to see them, she knew the tears cascading down their rotting cheeks, their glassy eyes marred by emotionless sorrow, and callous decadence. They were all there, doing whatever they could to catch her attention, trying with all their might to understand why she was ignoring them, why she was trying to settle into her own ignorance. They were there, couldn't she see? They reached out desperately.

Silently.

Miserably.

 _Why?_ he seemed to ask.

She shook her head, trying to cover her ears with her own hands.

 _How could you?_

"…za."

 _How could you?!_

"…iza!"

 _HOW COULD YOU?!_

"Akiza!"

She snapped awake.

Red, crimson strands came undone from her silver hairpin, dangling from her wide, shocked pupils. Cold sweat came down her forehead, the very instance of those pleading words distorting her thoughts. Her hands lay limply on her lap, with ice creeping beneath her veins. She bit her lip, trying to shake the horror away.

Where were they?

Two strong hands carefully held her shoulder, endeavoring to steady her. Cool warmth slipped from those fingers, and when she looked up, her eyes widened.

Yusei.

And from his own, dark blue eyes, she only had to look around, to see the bodies surrounding her.


	46. Chapter 46

The pure, white invitation sat at that desk, mockingly gazing at the two with its haughty elegance. A golden, feather-shaped sticker sat at the front, in the upper right-hand corner of the tiny thing, one that neither of which were particularly comfortable looking at. There were brown vines printed on the borders, the thorns growing out from them reaching out for the tiny, black print miserably. Both of their names were sprawled gracelessly towards the bottom. But yet another signature flourished below theirs, one that they couldn't help but stare at for the longest time. Still, they managed to pry their eyes away from the name, the pain so clearly evident in their eyes.

 _Would you like to meet the Black Rose?_

The two pondered on the man's suggestion, their reluctance stemming from of a simple conversation that took place a few nights ago. They were to meet Belial, as well as his employer, at the Miyaki Hotel at seven o'clock in the ballroom, where the witch would appear. It was a banquet, all of which was geared towards introducing the terrorist who'd incited fear into nearly all of Neo Domino City, in showing off the Signer's newest enemy in effortless politeness, before attempting to bring them in. Both Jack and Crow will see who it was, behind the attacks, who it was that threatened the lives of their friends, who tried tearing apart the delicate peace the people in the city tried so hard to rebuild and protect.

And that criminal was supposed to be a close friend of theirs.

Someone they shared everything with.

Someone they thought they could count on.

Someone who had saved them on more than one occasion.

Someone they thought was Yusei Fudo.

Before long, Jack swiped the invitation from the desk. Crow blinked, before turning to his friend. He was about to say something, when Jack shook his head, not even bothering to complain this time. And once again, they lapsed in tense silence, as Jack moved toward the couch. Crow was about to follow, when he stopped himself, staring now at the empty space in front of him.

The two still tried clinging to their memories. They tried telling Belial over and over how they must've had the wrong guy, that Yusei would never do anything so cruel, that this was all some sick game, created by a psychotic freak who was only jealous of Yusei's newfound fame, that this was just an extreme prank someone was pulling, and that, by now, the cameras have already recorded their actions, and were being shown to some family far away, who was laughing hysterically at their stupidity. They clung to that hope that somewhere, down the line, Yusei would pop in, and ask if anything was wrong, to clarify all the misunderstandings that'd been swirling around him for the longest time. Even now, they still wanted the guy to come bursting through the door, explanations already in hand as to why Belial said what he said.

So, they waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And then they heard the midnight chimes from some distant clock, with only dread filling them both.

* * *

The warm, white, styrofoam cup slipped from his fingers, as his hand entwined with hers. He paused for a single moment, before coming away, the steam from Akiza's hot chocolate swiftly being overpowered by the cool, breezy air. His dark, obsidian eyes held onto her glassy ones for some time, the familiarity of those orbs callously reminding him of that crimson evening, the sounds resonating from a bullet he fired from before. And yet, somehow he managed to untangle himself from those twisted emotions, concentrating on what was here, what was real. But even now, he couldn't even begin to separate truth from lies, muddled memories reforming rapidly in his brain, one by one. It wasn't long before he finally sighed, and sat down next to her, on that archaic, wooden bench.

A field of marigolds decorated the verdant hills, the lonely, flickering lampposts capturing whatever solitude was left in the twilight. Tall oak trees towered over the park, their roots etched out over the eroding, grey pavement. Withered leaves kept falling toward the two, their landings echoing throughout the seemingly abandoned fields, their unborn buds dropping with them. The moonless night gave little comfort for the same, isolated light the two were comfortable with, and ominous clouds shrouded the stars.

To Yusei, it looked like there was a storm coming.

About an hour ago, Yusei had given out the coordinates for an "ambush" against Fallen. The nobles were all already in place, and since he had Jaden leak those coordinates to Amrbosine, sure enough, she'd coming running for them. She'd kill off the remaining competition, and then she'd come back to hunt him down. The entire fiasco would lead up to Belletrix's little banquet tomorrow, and once he's finished humoring sister dearest, Alexis will take care of the branch here, as will Jaden.

It'd be like killing two birds with one stone; Amrbosine clearly wasn't the mastermind behind Fallen's sudden resurrection, and the elites were useless to him as they are, unlike the other covens, who actually waited for orders. It won't be long now, before he manages to annihilate Belletrix too; it didn't matter what she believed she could use against him, and she certainly couldn't attack him without exposing herself. Either way, Yusei will still win.

However, he didn't plan on seeing Akiza, that night.

Who happily slaughtered three of his nobles, right in front of him.

She was completely different, so very unlike the young woman he'd gotten to know over the last year. Her pale skin shimmered within the darkness, the crimson contrasting sharply to the background behind it. Her bangs carelessly swept across her face, the silver hairpin she wore to keep her powers in check already cracking at the monstrosity within her. A small, twisted smile grazed her face, and if he'd remained quiet, he was sure she'd laugh. She was shivering, waking up from a nightmare she could neither control nor fear. She simply sat there, unmoving, with a cascade of emotionless tears running down her cheeks. A blank stare callously sat on her face; neither remorse nor guilt nor sympathy ran crossed her.

After a few moments of silence, he closed his eyes. He placed his elbows on his knees, and looked down at the cracks in the sidewalk.

"Are you okay?" he finally asked.

She didn't answer.

"Aki."

He could hear the styrofoam cup tighten in her grip. She started to shake her head, when she paused for a brief moment. Her lips parted slightly, before answering with a reluctant, "I'm fine."

He narrowed his eyes, as he scrutinized her appearance. None of the blood had gotten on the front of her clothes, and he's already wiped it away from her face. She was wearing his old, blue jacket too, and that alone should cover up any of the blood stains on the back. "I don't believe you," he replied.

She laughed emptily. "Funny."

"What?"

"It's nothing; just a little inside joke is all."

Yusei blinked. "Right…"

"No, really. I-I-"

"Akiza," Yusei interrupted sternly, causing her to stop shivering. "When I saw you, you were covered in _blood._ What _happened?"_

She began shivering again.

" _Akiza."_

"Amaryllis."

He froze.

Slowly, Akiza picked her head up, her glassy eyes staring up at the nonexistent starlight.

As she did, Yusei's mind began racing, the very fact that she even knew the name carefully distorting the illusion he wanted to preserve around her. Incoherent gibberish was lodged in his throat, his brain still stunned with surprise. Even after he endeavored willing himself to say something, anything, even some half-hearted excuse to try and distract Akiza from the name itself, he still remained quiet.

"I hear she was the original Black Rose," she continued softly, ignoring the tension surrounding their silhouettes. "That she died, during the hunts."

"…I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah," she replied, bringing the styrofoam cup toward her face. "Do you remember those terrorists, the ones with the roses attached to their throats? I figured that's where they got the symbol from."

Yusei relaxed. Still, he carried the concern on his face, an eerie calmness washing over him. Memories of when she stood callously over the bodies, his elites dying before her during the horror festival, her glassy eyes quietly lingering along the disturbing scene; it all grazed his mind then. It was the same moment from which the previous witch decorated herself with, the same, bloodstained crimson that she endeavored to hide, to forget. And although no emotion covered her face, the remorse slipping away from her once peaceful mindset, the similarities were still there. It seemed as if that for a split second, _his_ Akiza was there, sitting beside him that bench, in the darkness.

But only for that second.

"You're right," he found himself saying. When the quiet persisted, Yusei simply continued, not even bothering to understand the tension callously embedded between the two. "The symbol came directly from her. In fact, if it wasn't for that symbol, I doubt any of those terrorists could've survive."

"Coven."

"What was that?"

"They're a coven, not terrorists. Jaden told me."

"Coven, then," he corrected effortlessly. "To me, it seems they all depend on that symbol, to hold them together. Without it, they would've fallen apart years ago."

"You know them from somewhere?"

He shrugged. "They were a duel gang from the Satellite; not even Kalin could catch up with them."

Akiza closed her eyes. "Can you tell me about them?"

"I don't know much," he murmured softly. "But I know a few of the coven members. From what I hear, a lot of them are going to die soon."

"…How?"

"They ticked off the wrong person. Since they were the ones behind the terrorist attack, I don't think anyone is going to help them out this time."

"You don't seem that concerned."

"Should I be?"

"…I expected you to, anyways."

"They hurt you," Yusei reminded, the stinging frustration that Jean would even think about targeting innocents, just to lure him out. He narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists at the memory. "And let's not forget; they terrorized those people. They were the bad guys in that little incident, weren't they? And besides, I'm surprised that you even care."

"I'm just curious."

"Even then."

Carefully, she took a sip from the warm chocolate, her lips barely touching the rim of the cup. She set the drink down on her lap, and savored the taste. "How come?"

Yusei slid his icy orbs over to hers. Again, he could see the Black Rose peeking out from the subtlest traces of emotionless grace. But, despite that, the cruelty still remained. So he turned away. "They hurt people, didn't they?"

"But they got what they deserved. And the public always wants to know the stories behind the criminals, right? Why they're doing what they're doing."

"You think?"

"I know."

"It's funny," he continued. "Normally, I wouldn't have expected someone who'd just killed three people to be this calm."

"…You're comparing me to them?"

"You hurt those people too, didn't you? Even if they did deserve it."

Much to his surprise, she merely laughed, heaviness and mirth entwined within a kaleidoscope of uncertainty. "So you want to know why I did it then?"

"Self-defense, right?"

"A common excuse, isn't it?"

"It's the most acceptable one, in a situation like this."

"You think they'd find the bodies?"

"If the police aren't as clueless as they seem, maybe. Who knows?"

"Right; silly me."

The two lapsed in silence again. The tension had long since come away from them, though the comforting darkness proved of little use.. Even if they did deserve it, even if it was out of self-defense, somehow, that excuse just didn't seem believable. And neither did the behavior Akiza was exhibiting now; normally, she wouldn't even talk to him as calmly as she would now, while pleasantly sipping her drink. It was as if all sense of morality had left her, on this particular night; she wasn't the crying, lonely little girl he saw back at the Fortune Cup, nor was she bothered by little things like crime or judgements. But then again, he didn't feel like there was anything wrong with her either. Neither his cautiousness nor his suspicions arose, even with all the alarm bells sounding in his head. Did she see his face, just before she passed out? Did she know about all the lies he's fed to her, the drugs that she's had to suffer from? Did she remember anything?

He had absolutely no idea.

"I hope they find the bodies."

Yusei blinked. He turned to her, the surprise etched into his features.

"They might call it some vicious mugging," Akiza mused, while swirling the drink in her hand. "Or maybe some animal might've escaped from the sewers, and mauled them. Maybe a deranged serial killer broke out of prison, and was now exacting his revenge on the ones who turned him in. Perhaps it was just a robbery gone wrong, with the robbers winding up dead for their own greed. What'd you think happened, during that night?"

"Aki…I _know_ what'd happened-"

"Then tell me the story," she said, a slow, unreadable smile forming on her face. "Was it real? A dream? Are the black spots on my clothes really dried bloodstains?"

"Aki-"

"I didn't even hear their screams," she continued, as if brushing aside whatever excuse Yusei had yet to come up with. "Muffled screams, at least. If I was going to be a psychopath, the least I could do…is make them scream."

Yusei reached out for her shoulder, his eyes widening at her incoherence. "Listen, it wasn't your fault! They were just-!"

"And scream, and scream, and scream."

He visibly flinched, his mind fishing around for yet another lie. "They…they were just…"

"Tell me Yusei," she instantly said, as she turned to him, her dark, maroon bangs sweeping away from her eyes. "If you heard them scream, would you tell me that they existed?"

He couldn't answer.

"If they screamed, would you tell me what I remember…was right? That I killed them? That I murdered them, and I didn't even know why?"

"…I…saw the bodies, Aki," he said finally. Resignation clouded his face, as he reached over and grabbed her hand. "They were real. If…I can tell you right now, that-"

"That I'm not dreaming," she finished easily. She turned away then, and drank the last of her chocolate. She set the cup on the ground, the lines beneath her eyes contrasting to the pale azure of the styrofoam. "I guess…I guess that's the only thing that matters, huh?"

He simply sat there, for a single moment. He couldn't say anything at all, but then of course, he'd no idea what he wanted her to do.

What _she_ wanted him to say.

Did she want to feel better? Make the pain go away? Did she want to sleep, just as she had back when she was still at the hospital, when she was falling in the midst of the drugs he induced her with? Did she want to hear the truth, however frightening it may seem to her? Did she even want to know anything about those terrorists? Did she want to know who attacked her this night, piecing together the connection between her old, vengeful identity, and the terrorists whom had only recently showed?

"Yusei," she suddenly called.

He snapped to attention.

He could feel her icy fingers on his slowly slipping away. No, she didn't bother moving at all; in fact her muscles relaxed at his touch. And yet, all the same, he pressed a bit more onto them, as if to try and keep her from leaving. "What is it?" he asked.

"Why did you lie to me? Back at the hospital?"

"I told you before, didn't I?"

"You were lying then too," she murmured quietly, subtle shadows overtaking her weary face.

"…Are you sure about that?"

"No."

"Then why bring it up?"

"Because I'm just sitting here, after all this time," she whispered softly, her domesticated eyes taking in the ebony surrounding them. "I just killed three people, and I'm just sitting here, like it's nothing."

"Is that all?" he asked, confidence and confusion embedded within his normally calm voice.

She cocked her head, her gaze amusingly taking in all her randomness at this point. "I've also had dreams, these past few days." she said.

"Dreams?"

She nodded slowly. "You're always in them, for some reason," she continued, her voice trailing off aimlessly, wandering around in whatever emotion was left in her mind. "Sometimes Jaden, sometimes Alexis. But it's always you, waiting in the shadows."

Yusei flickered his eyes towards her. "And what was I waiting for?"

"I don't really know."

"…Were the dreams always bad?"

"Most of the time, yes." she replied, her distant expression recalling the slumber the drugs forced into her. "But I remember this one dream. I was sitting in class, waiting for the bell, and then I just…I nodded off."

"What was it about?"

She paused for a moment, her mouth slightly parted. Finally, she smirked. "I was walking in a field of flowers. There was someone with me, but I can't remember who."

"Flowers?"

"Roses, I believe. No, I take that back; not all of them were roses." Her finger touched the bottom of her lip, a thoughtful look painted onto her face. "Spider-lilies," she suddenly said. "Half of them were roses, and the other half were spider-lilies."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah. Did you know that spider-lilies were actually amaryllises?"


	47. Chapter 47

So Ophelia went and got herself killed.

And the Black Rose was being branded a traitor.

Salem laughed maniacally, the mirth never far from his voice. He arrogantly dangled a single, white invitation from his fingertips, with a sly smirk tap dancing on his lips. In his other hand, he held a glass shard, his own reflection staring up at him with the same, prideful smile.

Brown bangs brushed past his forehead, and even, carmel eyes stared out at the handsome face. The same, unique black rose was strapped to his throat, his own, pale skin shimmering along the lines of darkness. There was a cruel gleam embedded within the pupils, one that even Salem couldn't help but shy away from. Yet all the same, he couldn't help but sigh at the reflection, as he traced the shard carefully. He stroked the surface helplessly. Then, in that same moment, Salem closed his eyes, and changed. When he looked at himself again, he saw the other Queen, that worthless blonde who was always following the witch around, like some pathetic little puppy. However, she was equally beautiful, so begrudgingly, he couldn't complain.

After a little while, he leaned away from the mirror, and stared up at the empty ceiling. He was in Ophelia's old warehouse, which had long since been abandoned. Old cobwebs were floating quietly in their ebonic corners. Dust danced to the sounds of a decadent breeze, the ghoulish moonlight entwined within the particles around. Shattered glass marred the grounds, but every so often Salem would find it in his heart to try and clean up, if only for the sake of the girl who'd given him so much to laugh at. In fact, he was actually cleaning now. But, as it so happens, he saw his reflection in the mirror. Ever since then, he'd been staring at it, caressing it with all the affection he could muster from his closed heart.

But even that couldn't distract him from everything that'd been going on, especially when it concerned the coven.

The morons that kept following Ophelia around have disappeared, probably off with the Diamonds, since it seems their once loyal leader is now prepping them for slaughter. All the other nobles were on edge, just waiting for Fallen to come for them. Some, of course, were doing everything in their meager power to try and not get caught, while others were busy drawing up contracts, getting ready for uncertain business meetings, if only to try and convince the sadists of their own usefulness. It seems that this time, the elites have a better chance of escaping than the rest of the pawns. Perhaps that was the one advantage that came with the titles. But then again, most of the time that strategy didn't work, so who knows?

Probably Belial.

Belial should know.

To be perfectly honest, Salem couldn't remember when it was when he joined. All he could recall was how bored he was, with his own life, and how exciting it'd become when he met the Black Rose, as well as his Queens. In fact, he was so moved by their unpredictability, that the only ever forms that he ever took were those three. It was a shame though, that he couldn't meet with them as often as he liked. They were always so busy, always keeping to themselves and that secretive world of theirs. He hadn't met anyone as interesting as them, so it really was unfortunate.

Then of course, Belial came along.

Just like Salem, he simply showed up, and though everyone was curious as to where he came from, no one dared ask him. Apparently, neither the Queens nor the witch bothered with him, so the rest of the coven members left him alone. He was a bit of a wallflower, in Salem's opinion, and even after he'd gotten to know the guy, he was still a bit of an enigma.

Still, Belial had a lot of juicy secrets. For example, Jean was always an alcoholic, and the only reason why he join the game was because he wanted to prove himself to the witch, saying that, at the very least, he could help him in something; he never meant to take the title. The twins were always around him too, but that's because they saw him as an older brother, a mentor of sorts, one that could bring order to the coven; when he didn't, that was when they turned to Fallen, only to fall to the lowest of depths. Drevis only wanted to play because he thought he could teach the Queens a thing or two about politics, about combat. Ophelia joined because she wanted to protect the witch, but then of course, she was always stupid like that. They all were.

But the one thing that blew everything else out of the water, something that made every other scandal seem like a simple, little white lie, was how the Black Rose actually met with Fallen's leader.

And over dinner too! Yeah, it looks like they were really intimate. Were they lovers? No, no it didn't seem like it. Well, were they friends? Surely there must've been something between the two? But Belial didn't know. All he knew was that Fallen had given the witch an invitation, telling him to come to some hotel, where a banquet will be held in his honor. Their fearless leader then gave Belial the invitation, and told him to look for the Queens.

Now, Salem would be lying if he said he wasn't jealous. Why would the witch grant Belial such a wonderful opportunity, when he hadn't even been in the coven for a year? Why would he give Belial such a responsibility, when there were more trustworthy figures out there? Yes, Belial was a good friend, but that didn't stop him from being, at the most, _slightly_ annoyed.

So, like any other sensible gentleman, he decided to change forms. Out of pure curiosity, he asked Belial to give him the invitation, and that was that. After he read the thing, Salem…

Was shocked, to say the least.

Millions of questions kept swirling in his mind, the impossible truth that their own, lying leaders could actually have sold out the rest of the coven, if only for their own benefit (sarcasm). But even then, what was he supposed to think? Even he should knew that they, out of everyone he's met, had some sort of grudge against Fallen. Why was that, really? Was it something the organization did to them? Was there blackmail involved? Did Ophelia know about it? Was that why the Black Rose cut her down the way he did? Did it have anything to do with his new concubine? Was this all just a ruse, to try and lower the coven's defenses, to make them seem more helpless than they really are?

Salem toyed with the long, blond strands dangling from his skull, as he clutched the broken fragment in his hand. He stared into the Queen's eyes, the deep, steel gray entwining heavenly with an innocent, mischievous glimmer hidden behind a nonexistent light in her eyes. He stole another look at the invitation, before putting the white envelope down, and turning back to the mirror. With one, tiny finger, he stroked the cool surface, a small, playful smile tugging at his face.

They all really are beautiful.

So beautiful that he didn't mind not remembering what he looked like.

Tomorrow, he was going to get to go to a wonderful party. He was going to be seated next to the Black Rose, an honor he knew many of the members would kill for. He was going to meet with Fallen, and ultimately be saved from his once inevitable fate, escaping death with an idol he'd long since admired. He was going to get the kindness he yearned for, all the while seeing into the glimpses of the world the Black Rose hid himself in. He was going to get everything he ever wanted, and then some, simply because he himself was invited to their secretive, dark reality.

Salem knew, more than anyone, how much the members trusted the witch. And he also knew how hurt they were, when Belial told everyone how he simply met with Fallen's leader, as if mocking the coven for their undeniable stupidity, a joke Salem found too funny to laugh at. But even then, there were still pawns who came to the witch's defense, knights who shielded their beloved master, if only for the sole purpose of the victories he's brought unto them. The bishops and rooks too fell for his trickery, but only the idiotic ones, the ones who refused to join the game. Only the aristocrats knew just how much of a monster the man really was.

In his silence, Salem heard the chimes of a far away clock. A midnight bell resonated loudly through the air, the misery embracing each note. An air of corrupted magic sang in Salem's ears, as he stole a look at the invitation again. It wasn't long before he turned his gaze to the empty space in front of him, taking in the magnificence the warehouse had without anyone else inside.

Salem was probably just as much a fool as Ophelia, to go to something as dangerous as this. If anything, he should've just thrown the invitation away. He should've hunted the witch down, and tell him what was going on, doing everything he could to try and ignore another tragedy. He should've told the pawns, or the aristocrats, or anyone else, anyone who would listen about their traitorous leaders, about their connections with Fallen. At the very least, he could've saved a few lives, however unimportant, or how boring, they were.

But he couldn't bear to.

Because that witch enticed him too much.

* * *

"Did you know that spider-lilies were actually amaryllises?"

Yusei stared at her, the silence lingering between the two subtly. "I didn't know that." he said quietly.

"Neither did I."

"So what'd they look like? In your dream?"

She merely shrugged, staring down at her drink as she did. By now, all the warmth had gone from the cup, leaving only a cool mess of liquid in its stead. Its even lost its chocolate aroma, something only Yusei had seemed to notice. "They were red," she answered. "I got the flowers confused, at first. I was so embarrassed."

"What for?"

"I couldn't tell the difference between them, the roses and the spider-lilies. It all looked like a sea of red to me, filled with thorns and weeds."

Thorns and weeds, huh?

"What happened after that?"

"Someone asked me how I felt, about amaryllises."

An unreadable emotion etched across the atmosphere. Yusei tried to brush it aside, but in the end, he couldn't help but look away. "And how do you feel about them?"

Much to his annoyance, she laughed. "Why are you asking me?"

He returned her sarcastic mirth. "You recognized them, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but I don't know why."

Old, archaic lines stretched across her face, the strands of her hair neatly brushing past her shoulder. Before long, she took a deep breath, just as the light behind them shut off for the night. How long they'd been there, he didn't know. "I don't like them."

He stiffened. "What?"

"The amaryllises, in that dream," Akiza said, as she narrowed her eyes. "They always seem so detached, though whenever someone comes close to them, it's like they open up, daring someone, anyone, to try and treat it like any other flower. Snip it, cut it, put it on a mantle and have someone take pictures of it; all they do is stand there, with that same dare on their face. The plant might not have thorns, but it has weeds and thistles surrounding it. And besides," she continued, shrugging his jacket closer to her shoulders, "they aren't as innocent as roses."

His lips parted slightly. "And just what about roses are innocent?" he asked. "They have thorns, don't they? You've said it yourself, time and time again."

"With those big, prideful petals of theirs, I'm not sure roses even know they have thorns," she answered aimlessly. "You see them all the time, don't you? At weddings? At birthday parties? On Valentine's Day, when the guy doesn't know what else to get the girl? You've seen them everywhere; they've become so ingrained in society that they don't even stop to think about how meaningless their existences are."

"Meaningless?"

"It doesn't matter how pretty they are," she mused. "In the end, just like any other flower, they're going to wilt, and die, and be tossed aside, just like everything else. They'll be forgotten, but despite that, they probably won't know it; they'll still be wrapped up in their own, vain little world, not even bothering to understand the things outside of it, the thorns that protect it. At the very least, spider-lilies know when their end is coming."

As their shadows disappeared within the calm darkness shrouding them, Yusei simply sat there next to her, the tips of her bangs lightly touching his skin. He couldn't make out the bloodstains his jacket so carelessly hid, with all the hints of the murder now ceasing to exist. Akiza wasn't shaking anymore, the memory of her own, ephemeral disgust vanishing before him so easily. It was as if she'd seen those kinds of deaths over and over again, in those callous nightmares of hers. How quickly she'd gotten over her fears, the despair of being exposed to corpses for the past years; it seemed like everything was there, laid out for Yusei to see.

"And I don't like that."

Yusei's wide, dark eyes took in the emptiness resonating from Akiza's expression. Traces of bearable agony permeated from her lips, and though she allowed her facade to slip for a single moment, she managed to keep her blank face. Before he could talk, she threw her head back, and watched the shadows from above. "Like what?" Yusei asked. "The fact that they know more than roses do? That they aren't as naive?"

"I do."

"Why?"

"It's just not as human."

* * *

They all stared at the empty darkness in front of them, the ravaging tension carelessly grazing their once haughty, elegant wrinkles. Worried murmurs kept passing and there, with hot sweat soiling the fine fabric covering their grotesquely obese bodies. Puffy red eyes kept appearing throughout the crowds, as they tried remaining silent, only for the murderous shouts to, once again, pierce the air. They all took a collective gulp, trying to hide their presences from the monsters. Shivering and shaking, with fear gripping their hearts, they desperately prayed for someone, for anyone, to come, and stop the massacres. Already those things have gotten three of their numbers.

No, four.

Four have already died.

Carefully, one of the elites peeked out from the shadows. He held his finger to his lips, and with tight eyes, told them all to shut up. Obediently, they obliged. He then took a deep breath, before looking out from around the corner. He tightened his grip around on his once clean sleeve, as he looked out at the creatures, all of whom were surrounding their latest kill.

Tonight, the aristocrats were supposed to meet here, in the ballroom. They needed to come up with a strategy to take down the Black Rose. As of that point, many were still thinking about the game, about the potential victor and the glories ahead. However, survival was their number one priority, considering how Fallen was ready to come tear them apart, limb from limb, to be exact. Since neither the witch nor his Queens couldn't be trusted, it seemed that now, they were on their own. After all, they knew full well how cruel wealth can be; they've even destroyed each other to attain it.

So why?

Why wasn't it saving them now?

Where were their slaves? And their servants? Where were the knights, who were supposed to come to their rescue whenever they called for it? Where were the pawns, who needed to act as bait while the elites escape? Where were the other humans, most of which would've, at least, distracted those monsters long enough for them to leave? Where were the other covens, all of whom should be helping them, now that the truth had gotten out? Where were their allies, their acquaintances, business partners whom they've barely known for even a week? Didn't anyone care for the elites?

But more importantly, what about those creatures? Didn't those things understand how powerful money can be, especially in their hands? Didn't they see just what kind of force they were dealing with, considering how many pawns the elites could afford? Didn't those creatures comprehend how frightened they should be by the sheer elegance the aristocrats exuded? Didn't they know, just by their fine clothes and jewelry, by their titles, by the amount of land and servants they've amassed over their long lives?

And even if they didn't, if even that fear couldn't save the elites, then what about the Black Rose? Wasn't he supposed to be their leader? Yes, they've tried to kill him time and time again, but at the very least, he wouldn't risk making himself look bad by simply ignoring their plight. He or his Queens should be here any moment now to stop those things from tearing them apart. He'll destroy those things for frightening the objects he's laid claim to, to the immoral courts he's so preciously protected over the years. Yes, he should be here any time. Even if they were being slaughtered, one by one, the Black Rose will still come. He'll give them their victory, like he's always done.

Another one fell.

A woman this time.

A woman whom they all envied.

They all watched, as they ripped her apart with their overgrown fangs. Their disgusting nails tore at her dress, with her expensive rhinestones falling emptily to the ground. Her eyes grew wide with fright, as she tried struggling out of their grip, only for her blackened fluids to stain the sullied grounds. The creatures ripped out strands of silk hair, leaving long, disgusting claw marks on the side of her face. The ruby choker that held fast to her throat had long since vanished, and the diamond rings she had on her fingers proved of little worth in her survival, as the creatures used it to break her own hands. The sapphire earrings she once treasured was ripped away from her earlobes, and the oversized, golden bracelet she happily showed off to everyone had gone missing, only to reappear in her now exposed ribs. Shapeless blobs of organs draped over her finery, with the scent of iron replacing her perfume she'd put on just hours before. Her prideful smile had vanished, replaced by a terrified expression as she screamed at the top of her lungs, reaching out to her former allies to be saved, seemingly forgetting the world that she'd come from.

And it was funny, how desperate she looked. How desperate she seemed, as she reached out to them, calling them out like they were once friends.

No

Not even they could understand that.

So they left her there, writhing in painful agony, unaware that those creatures were approaching them with the same, hungry look in their eyes.


	48. Chapter 48

_Dark, ominous clouds gathered near, engulfed in a foreboding atmosphere callously splaying itself for the subtle yet growing dread. Once proud, archaic oak trees now held withered trunks and leaves, their branches weakened by the weight of a devastation he hadn't even seen. And yet, despite that, verdant fields still surrounded those trees, with tiny, white dandelions swaying peacefully to the tension, bringing their own, overgrown weeds. He stared at the buds for a while, before looking up at the ruins._

 _Crumbling frames covered the edifice with a pathetic quiet he hadn't known before. Cracks decorated old rubble, and age-old moss planted itself upon the rubble's metal surface. Shattered remains of glass kept crunching beneath his feet, as he continued his trek, some from stained windows, others from the laboratories. Abandonment touched the ruins so eagerly, and a scent of neglect filled the air, concealing whomever once lived there, in that building. Not even the bodies that were supposedly hanging from the edges were nowhere to be found._

 _He peered around the lonely site for a bit more. He closed his eyes, then walked towards a familiar silhouette, just up ahead._

 _"_ _Akiza," he called._

 _Akiza's back was turned to him. Those long, silky bangs swayed wildly within the delicate breeze, the ends lightly touching the folds of her long, black dress. A black ribbon was tied to the back of her head, trying to childishly hold her hair together, though some of the strands kept escaping. When he drew closer, he caught the faintest scent of ash coming away from her, and when he stopped, he saw healing burns wrapped around her shoulders, a testament to the crime they performed just last night._

 _He could remember the red that stained her fingertips, could remember her trembling body against his, as he carried her out of the fiery buildings. He could still see the empty remorse in her eyes, though darkness tried shielding her completely. And even after the entire ordeal was over, even after the extermination, he knew she was withdrawing from within, though nothing's changed. With that in mind, he came to her, a confused frown on his face. "Akiza." he repeated._

 _"_ _There was nothing here," she murmured quietly._

 _He stared at her for a while, before quietly turning away. He fought the urge to scowl, as he recalled the horrifying experiments that once took place, in a facility that was no longer there. "The research facility should be here," he said. "Jaden and I were usually assigned to this branch. Did you order Alexis to-?"_

 _"_ _I didn't. And even if she acted alone, there's no way she could destroy it that quickly." Silently, she turned around. "From the looks of things, it's been like this for quite a while."_

 _"_ _How long?"_

 _"_ _Fifty or so years, I guess."_

 _What?_

 _Loneliness was carved into the atmosphere around the witch. An eternity had passed, with anxious silence suffocating him, until finally, she started moving._

 _Shaking._

Laughing.

 _His lips parted slightly at the strange scene._

 _Here she was, the Black Rose, laughing at someone, something, a concept he couldn't even begin to understand, an idea he hadn't thought of…the emptiness around her. She clutched both of her sides, the insanity of her voice piercing the atmosphere. She kept gasping for breath, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was still there, just behind her. And when she finally stopped, she stood there, chuckling gleefully._

 _Pitifully._

 _"_ _Aki."_

 _And she suddenly stopped._

 _The moments passed by them easily. There was a hollow dirge from far away, a nonexistent one he hadn't heard in a while. Slowly, he took another step towards her, with wariness plastered on his face. "What happened here?" he asked._

 _"_ _Belletrix always loved fire. She probably just got bored of this branch, and decided to burn it down."_

 _He shook his head. "Jaden was one of Fallen's most prominent researcher; he was the only one who's managed to create demons that would last. Even when he left, I doubt she would've just gotten rid of them."_

 _"_ _Then I guess she got tired of dealing with all the corpses."_

 _He narrowed his eyes. "What're you-?"_

 _"_ _Jaden doesn't remember her."_

 _The same pause repeated itself. It went on for a while, with his eyes boring her back. Before long, he turned away, and took in the ruined scene once again. He couldn't say anything, though only disbelief clouding his mind._

 _Impossible. Jaden wasn't one to just forgive and forget, what with all the restrictions Belletrix had placed on the two. And besides, whenever Jaden and sister dearest fought, it was always memorable; almost always he would end up half-dead by the time they were over. To simply forget those fights was a bit of an understatement. "Akiza," he started, before she turned back around, remorse brimming in the lines of her weary face._

 _"_ _He doesn't remember her," she repeated._

 _And with that, his doubts left him._

 _Akiza placed one hand to her forehead, as she started laughing again. Her bangs swayed away from her sorrowful face, her pained smile bubbling with misery, as her coarse giggles took hold of the air. They were sharp, so sharp that he couldn't help but flinch, even if they were softer than before. "After all those years, after all that time he spent with her, he really doesn't remember her."_

 _She took a deep breath, and sighed then. "And it was never his fault," she finished softly._

 _He took another step towards her. "Akiza-"_

 _"_ _It's not very human, is it?"_

 _That same, hollow wind brushed past them. He felt the cold, frost-stricken breeze wrap around his body, though he kept his eyes on her, his own, obsidian orbs clashing with her feral, golden ones. "Well, he wasn't very human to begin with."_

 _"_ _That's not true."_

 _But he brushed aside her comment, continuing with his one, stray thought. "None of us were."_

 _"_ _But we were," she replied, as her hands fell limply to her sides. "And we still are. It doesn't seem like it, but we are."_

 _"W_ _e aren't."_

 _"_ _How do you know?"_

 _He returned to her her hollow smile. "We were born and raised in a little hole, right in the middle of hell. We've killed and deceived and destroyed; we've burned alive everyone we've ever disliked. We've obeyed every single order, whether it was from Fallen, or from our selfish wishes. Akiza, we aren't-"_

 _"_ _Aren't what?" she pressed, causing him to fall silent. "We were trapped, Yusei. And now here we are, still bound by the same purgatory we've tried escaping, for so…damn long." She spread her arms, as she swirled away from him, seemingly dancing to the mourning cries he heard before._

 _"_ _And…and isn't that great?! We were so human that we refuse to condemn the crimes we've committed! No one could forget something so cruel, so gruesome! And yet here we are! Here we are, just talking about it, like we just saw some petty thief take swipe some money from under our noses! It's callous! Murderous! It's so STUPID AND WE CAN'T EVEN STOP IT!"_

 _"_ _Aki-!"_

 _"_ _Don't you understand?"_

 _She instantly froze, her back turned to him once more. Her arms were still outstretched, her face turned to the skies. Slowly, her arms carefully lowered themselves, with lachrymose entwined within the dance she'd just performed for herself._

 _"_ _Can't you understand?" she muttered, after a while._

 _"…_ _No, I can't."_

* * *

"And what's wrong with that?" Yusei found himself asking. He leaned forward, painfully gripping both hands. "What's wrong with not being human?"

She chuckled emptily. "It's just funny that way."

"How come?"

"It reminds me of a little promise I made to someone, before I joined the Arcadia Movement."

"And what was that?"

* * *

 _He stood there, quietly, unable to comprehend the unhappiness shrouding her. Though there were times he didn't know what Akiza was thinking, what uncertainty she was capable of, perhaps this was the first time he was so scared. He'd never seen her act like this before, especially in a place like this. She was standing there, shouting out her once unreadable insanity, and he'd no idea what to do about them. It was as if she was alone, talking with a shadow that could neither handle nor help her in her plight._

 _And yet, for some reason, he turned to her. He kept his confusion buried, though it still splayed itself in his voice. "Why?"_

 _"_ _Why what?"_

 _"_ _Why save any of us?"_

 _She turned around, confusion brimming upon her face._

 _He stood there, fists clenched. The dirges have long since quieted, and even the melancholy of the once proud branch proved little to ease his frustrations. He gritted his teeth, as he came toward her, the hurt prominent in his eyes. "Are you really_ that _stupid? You honestly think you can just stand there, feeling sorry for yourself? What about Jaden? And Alexis? Did you save them because you thought it'd make you feel more human?"_

 _"_ _I_ am _human-"_

 _"_ _If that's the case, then you don't understand a single thing yourself," he scowled. "Just look around you._ This _was the world we came from, and in the end,_ this _is where we'll end up. Stop dragging yourself down thinking about things like that; it won't get you anywhere."_

 _Akiza narrowed her eyes. "Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust. If you understand that, then you should know where I'm coming from."_

 _"_ _So is that it then? Is_ that _what's been dragging you down for the last couple of years?" When she didn't answer, he straightened, the frustration dissipating from him. "You've had more nightmares, haven't you?"_

 _Nothing._

 _"_ Akiza _."_

 _She gave him a simple smirk. "And every time I wake up, I'm always in tears." She placed her hand over her chest, all the while looking away, her eyes fixed to the ground. "I keep thinking to myself that if I'd been there sooner, I might've been able to save them. That I-"_

 _He scoffed. "Then that makes you an arrogant fool who doesn't know right from wrong. Akiza, the moment Fallen captured them, there was no "saving" them. You shouldn't be so prideful as to think you can save the people who are already lost." His gaze softened, as he drew closer to the witch. "It's why you've asked us to burn down all the branches we've been to."_

 _"_ _That's not it."_

 _"_ _Then what is?"_

 _"_ _You really don't feel it?" she asked quietly, pressing her palm against her chest. "You don't feel anything at all?"_

 _"_ _And what am I supposed to feel? Pity? Remorse?"_

 _"_ _No."_

 _He stared at her for a while, before sighing. "You chose the lesser of evils Akiza. Even if they survived, there's nothing they could do. What? Did you want to torture them some more?"_

 _"_ _I didn't-"_

 _"_ _Did you want to watch them starve to death?"_

 _"_ _No, I-"_

 _"_ _Did you want to see them living on the streets, like a bunch of scared sewer rats?"_

 _"_ _That's not it-"_

 _"_ _Then what_ did _you want?"_

 _"_ _Isn't it obvious?" she hissed sharply, causing him to fall silent. She looked like she was going to say more, but she caught herself. Slowly, she straightened. She closed her eyes, a slow, painful smile plastered on her face. And finally, she looked to him again._

 _"_ _I remember them," she said softly. "Every child, every experiment, every face that'd died in Fallen's shadow. I remember their names, their prayers, how desperate they looked, when they realized the massacres they were destined to cause._

 _"_ _I remember every order that was given to them, and every alarm that rang, whenever someone was going to die. I remember every small footstep that walked by me, every cage that I've ever seen, every fire that I've caused, every scream that kept me awake at night. I remember each day I was trapped there, every shadow that'd ever crossed my path, every smile that shouted to me that I should run."_

 _"…_ _There was nothing you could've done," he said, after the longest time. "There was nothing anyone could've done."_

 _"_ _I murdered them," she stated._

 _"_ _And if it wasn't_ for _those murders, you never would've gotten this far."_

 _Before she could say anymore, he cupped her chin, and forced her to look at him. "If it wasn't for those murders, you wouldn't have been able to make an example of them. You wouldn't have been able to escape. If you hadn't, I'm pretty sure we'd end up like all the other failures. Don't you get it?_ That's _why I turned away, when you killed Meredith, why I've followed you, after all this time. Besides, if you were anything else, you wouldn't have spared Alexis or Jaden; you would've killed them, the moment you saw them."_

 _"_ _They were pitiful children," she said stubbornly, "who are now loyal friends, as well as prized nobles." She clutched his wrist, not even bothering to hide her pride. "They're family."_

 _His grip tightened, only for his hand to drop to his side, resignation permeating from his frame. "You're too nice; you really will be the death of me someday."_

 _She raised a sorrowful, yet cocky eyebrow. "You really depend on me that much?"_

 _"_ _If it wasn't for you, I'd probably be dead."_

 _She scrutinized him, allowing his answer to soak in. She held both hands on his wrist now, her own shadow contrasting along the edges of the evening horizon. Silence came between the two, and from the corner of his eyes, he could see the growing darkness reaching for them._

 _"_ _Then I'll promise you something," she said, her breath washing over him carefully._

 _"_ _And what would that be?"_

* * *

"That no matter what happens, I wouldn't lose myself," she said quietly. "I'd know who I was, through the lies I've told, and the people I've hurt, and the guilt I felt. That in the end, I was still me. That I'm…human. Not a monster, or a witch, or a freak…but that I'm human."

* * *

 _"_ _That we are, in fact, still human, no matter how much the other covens despise us, or how many sins we've decided to hide. That we're still us, by the end of the day, attached to a burden called humanity." She closed her eyes, and smiled. "That I won't lose myself, in the end, through the nightmares and the morals."_

 _He clenched his fists. "You really are crazy, aren't you?"_

 _Without warning, she pressed her lips against Yusei's, promptly cutting him off. Then, in that same moment, she stepped back, gripping both his cheeks with her hands._

 _"_ _I promised, didn't I?"_


	49. Chapter 49

And you broke that promise.


	50. Promise

I could feel myself leaning against you, my cheek resting on your thick-headed skull. Your eyes instantly turned to me, snapping you out of whatever memory you had lodged in your overly complicated skull. You jumped slightly at the pressure, but in that same moment, you relaxed, the tension coming away from your muscles. You turned back then, the folds of my jacket covering your once shaking frame. I couldn't help but catch a brief, comforted smile on your face. And suddenly, your empty face brightened.

"Are you okay?" you asked me.

"What with the sorry way you've been acting," I say slowly, "you're everything but."

* * *

Memories are so annoying.

With you, they always slink into your mind, one after the other, without any regard for the hopes you've carried, the contempt you used to believe. They've also had a funny way of crashing down on you, with the same, shattering fragments piercing through the moments you were in. It's disgusting, so much so that in fact, that once they arrive, you know that it's already too late to rectify whatever crime you've committed.

No matter how many times you've tried pushing them under, or how long you've kept up your facade, in the end, those sickening memories were always there, beckoning you along from the darkest corners of your mind. The fake smiles you've given me, the conceited kisses that fell from your lips, that crumbling independence that protected your naive emotions, everything that ever mattered to you; those memories still haunted you.

And I hated them.

I hated the way they made you.

And even now, when you've probably forgotten everything, when you haven't even begun to understand the situation, those memories are weighing you down. Your heart might've broken whatever was left from the past, but in the end, somehow, you still remember them. The massacres you've caused, the fires you've instigated, the prejudice that followed you everywhere you went; you could recall some of it. To think of it like that, and even if you don't acknowledge it… I should know better; I was your Queen, after all.

That fateful evening, when you died, when crimson raced over your half-dead body, I could see myself standing there, with the gun in my hand. That cruel moonlight stood above you, with the ghostly pale illuminating every grotesque limb out of place. Shadows danced around you, as you clutched your sides painfully, biting down on your lips to keep yourself from screaming. Your eyes kept getting more and more chaotic, as you tried speaking out again and again, only to choke on crimson. It wasn't long before your gaze turned to me, the order not far from your lips.

I was shaking. The cold, frost-bitten air kept attacking my fingers, as if ice was forming around the trigger, not allowing me to escape through my own panic. The thorns latched to my throat drew from my neck, the withered petals neither enjoying nor blossoming at the sight of the violence in front of it. Raven strands callously drifted over my broken pupils, though I managed to focus on your equally broken body.

From a distance, I could hear footsteps, with eager voices accompanying them. And along with that, shocked howls, the seemingly piercing victory shouts resounding through the air. But as fast as they came, they vanished, replaced by a suspicious fear that followed the defeat of their once hated enemy.

And finally, you managed to open your eyes.

You looked up, and you smiled that same, haughty smile, the one when you knew you were going to win. Even if the methods weren't what you intended, you knew the consequences were going to be the same. There was nothing else you would do, except watch the folds of your own, marvelous work play out before you.

"You really are loyal, aren't you?" you said, just before I shot you.

* * *

I could feel your eyes widen at the sudden assessment. You tried scowling playfully, but even I could see the pain behind that smirk. You swatted my knee, before huffing and turning away. "I'm breathing, aren't I? And it's not like I'm some monster or anything."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "No, you're not."

"Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust." you retort.

The familiarity of those words touched my ears. I sighed softly, the nostalgia of that broken promise weighing at my brain. But even then, I kept that wintry night in my head, that haunting gunshot already ringing in my ears. Still, I couldn't help but smile.

How are you even here?

Right now, in front of me?

"Akiza," I suddenly call.

You shrugged your shoulders, as you try looking up, only for me to stop you. I could feel my arms come around you, carefully shielding you from whatever creatures you used to fear, creatures you found chasing you in your nightmares. "Stop thinking about stuff like that. It's only going to weigh you down."

She laughed emptily. "I can't help it. I'm a freak, remember?"

"Yeah, you are."

"Yusei, I get that you're trying to cheer me up, but-"

"Sorry. I'm just…having a really hard time thinking right now."

You fell silent. In that same instant, a frosty breeze crosses by us. I could feel the goosebumps on your arms, and though you start shivering again, you simply hid your discomfort behind a slight frown. You sighed then, before leaning against me. "Forget it," you whispered quietly. "It's been a long night."

"It has, hasn't it?" I close my eyes then. "Promise me something."

"I don't know," you reply sarcastically. "I'm not that good at keeping promises, remember?"

"Then keep this one; go back home, and sleep for a while."

You narrowed your eyes. "But what about-?"

"I'll take care of them," I reassure. "Besides, I doubt you actually killed them; they're probably just unconscious or something."

"How can you be so sure?"

I turn away. "You're too nice."


	51. Chapter 51

Her bare feet danced around the old, cracked floorboards. Her arms waved wildly around her, stretching out to the rotten, empty ceiling above her. She dusted through the cobwebs, through the boxes filled with junk not even she could bring herself to be concerned about. The white ruffles on her skirt lightly touched the evening sunlight, the rays slipping through a cracked window not too far from where she was. Blond strands followed her easily, as she continued on with her dance, her wide orbs taking in the enchanted, archaic world her delusions pushed her into.

"Alexis."

She stopped then.

Carefully, she turned, and saw Jaden. She beamed at him gracelessly, an anxious smile plastered on her face as she hurried towards him. When she came near, she noticed the same, black rose wrapped around his throat, with the same, sharp thorns, and the same, withered leaves, none of which would matter in their moments of eternity. Still, she stared at the blossom for a while, before reaching out, and touching her own. "We ready?" she asked nervously.

He nodded, as he shifted his gaze away from her, taking in, instead, the foreboding sea of lights, just outside the glass. Even from here, Alexis could tell what he was looking at, the ostentatious letters comprising _Miyaki Hotel_ easily subduing their ignorance. She shrugged then, as she twirled around him, before placing her chin on his shoulder. To be perfectly honest, with a sign like that, it wasn't even that hard finding this place. In fact, the sign was so ostentatious, neither of them needed to look up the stupid hotel online; they just asked around for a little few minutes, and eventually, they managed to come here. Of course, people had been giving them funny looks, but nonetheless, they still made it. After waiting around at the front for a few minutes, Alexis got bored. So, she meandered about the grand corridors, the ballrooms, the restrooms, before she finally found the attic. Unfortunately however, Jaden followed her, since of course, they had that banquet to attend.

And just like any other dull meeting, he was wearing a thin, black sweater. An even blacker shade of black covered his back, the skeletal angel wings seemingly coming from behind. He had on black jeans to go with it, along with black combat boots with a simplistic, silver chain dangling from the side. "We should probably head downstairs," he said softly. "Yusei's expecting us."

Alexis blinked. "Why? We're in the attic, aren't we?"

"We need to be closer to our targets."

She huffed. "If we needed to be closer to our targets, we should've taken our invitations to begin with. I still don't understand why he let Belial take them though." She spun away from him, repeating the same, monotone rhythm she kept repeating in her head. "I mean, Amrbosine figured everything out, didn't she? So what's the use of hiding from her?"

"I don't know. My guess is, that he's trying to pull off another one of Akiza's gambits."

Already, she could feel herself smiling, as she reminisced the scarlet that seemingly draped around her, like a graceful. She liked hearing their surprised screams, liked seeing their horrified faces, when they realized their victory was merely a fantasy. She liked slicing through them, cutting through them with her own nails and arms, tearing their ligaments apart in by inch. Because whenever Akiza did one of her special gambits, it meant a lot of people were going to die.

And Alexis would be the one to kill them.

She continued dancing. "You think Yusei still remembers the steps?"

"He's letting Salem take the bait, so yeah, I guess."

"What'd you think will happen to him? Salem, I mean?"

Jaden shrugged, as he leaned against one of the boxes. "What'd you think?"

"Was he apart of the game?"

"A referee."

She cocked her head. "Don't you think that's kinda unfair? I mean, I don't think he had anything to do with the players. I doubt he even knew who the candidates were."

"It's because he trusted Belial."

"So? They all did at one point."

"And that's why Yusei let them die," Jaden replies. "Aren't the aristocrats supposed to be the best of the best? They aren't doing anyone any good if they keep getting fooled like that. Who knows what kinds of secrets Belial's managed to dig up?"

Alexis thought on the consequence for a split second, the consequence quietly teetering at the edge of her mind. Finally, she shaking her head. "No one knows who we are."

Jaden furrowed his eyebrows. Hesitation permeated from his frame, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Didn't you hear the rumors?"

"About us selling out the coven, right?"

"You think Yusei might-?"

"NO!"

A sharp, piercing light overtook her pupils. She instantly stopped her dance, as she stomped towards Jaden. She grabbed both his hands and pressed them against her chest, while looking up at him with sagacious eyes. "He'd never do that, at least, not to us, and certainly not to Aki. She's innocent, in all of this, and he knows better. Besides, he's your brother, isn't he? Your big, strong, older brother, who's taken care of us, after all these years."

Jaden's glare softened. Slowly, he reached over, and tucked a single, stray strand behind her ear. It was then she caught the sadness entwined in the lines of his face. "We still don't have all our memories back yet."

"I know Yusei-!"

"He's been sacrificing pieces left from right," he said, causing her to fall silent. "Our territories are being attacked, and we haven't done a single thing about it. A lot of people are getting hurt, people that have nothing to do with Fallen, or our covens. But despite that, he's still focusing on his game. To be honest Lex, I'm worried."

The girl bit the inside of her cheek. She kept clenching and unclenching her fists, as she scrutinized Jaden. The silence stretched on for forever, until finally, the brief, tense pause was over. She turned away, knowing full well that the sun was starting to go down. "He would never hurt us," she stated stubbornly. "And he won't hurt Aki either."

Jaden's arm fell to his side. "He did love her."

"And he loves this Aki too."

Jaden narrowed his eyes. "He wants to _kill_ this Aki, Lex. If it weren't for us, she'd probably be lying in some ditch somewhere."

Alexis firmly shook her head. "There's no way-"

"Think about it Alexis," Jaden interrupted softly. "What would happen if I died?"

She blinked. "Were you killed?"

"Does it matter?"

"Cause if you were," she continued happily, taking one step towards him, "then I'd find the guy who killed you, and I'd burn him alive. I'd burn him alive, until he's nothing but a tiny little pile of ashes!"

Jaden groaned frustratedly. "Alright then, fine. Say someone murdered me, and you kill the guy, right?"

"Hmm."

"What would happen then, if you saw me walking around again? What if the me you saw, was just some plaything out to get you?"

"…Do you really have to ask?"

Confusion flickered in his eyes. "What?"

"You really wanna know what I would do?" she asked, as she lifted his arms and wrapped them around her wait. She tugged him towards her, and in that same moment, they started dancing to another one of her silent, adrenaline-induced lullabies.

"I'd come up!" she shouted, dragging him happily around the room with her light footsteps. "And I'd kiss you, right then and there!" She twirled in his unmovable arms. She twisted around, and swung him back, causing him to grunt in surprise. She let him go, and started another one of her immaculate solos. "I'd kiss you again and again and again and again, even if you've stabbed me a thousand times over!"

It took a while for Jaden to catch his breath."Are you…are you even listening to yourself?!"

"Of course I am!"

"Do you seriously know how drugged up you sound right now?!"

"Well yeah!" she shouted, as she skipped back to Jaden. "But it doesn't really matter, not at all. As long as I see you again, nothing matters."

"Even if you're stabbed ten thousand times?"

"Even then."

She bowed, crossing her feet playfully to the other side. She popped back up, and smiled her saccharine smile, the one she knew he loved. "It's obvious, isn't it? If Yusei really hated her that much, he would've killed her to begin with, wouldn't he?"

"…Not everything's that simple Alexis."

"Why?"

"It just isn't."

"Yusei loves Aki," Alexis reiterated. "And he loves us. He would never do anything to hurt us. As long as we're alive, nothing else matters."

Jaden stared at her for the longest time.

At last, he sighed, and shrugged. He held out his hand for Alexis, and though she gave him a dazed look, in the end, she smiled, and took it. "You've got a lot of faith in him, don't you?"

"We owe Aki everything," she said quietly. She tightened her grip, as she turned back to the window. She caught sight of their disillusioned reflections, the dark elegance everyone was so enticed with elusive in her eyes. It was so elusive, in fact, that the only thing she could see in that mirror, were two, poor, pathetic toddlers, who were dressed for a party they weren't old enough to attend.

She closed her eyes. "And the sooner we realize it, the better."

Jaden leaned his forehead against hers. "You still want to keep playing with that dollhouse, don't you?"

She gave him a pained smile. "The adults keep saying no."

* * *

Shapes past by him quickly, as he drove through the highways. The evening sun was behind him, already sinking low into the horizon, as he sped away from it, his own, ephemeral shadow fading fast before him. The brightly colored lights of the cityscape guided his way, though their artificial light provided neither warmth nor comfort within the cold air. His eyes strayed onto their dimness for a while, he looked up.

Jaden and Alexis should already be at the hotel. As soon as Yusei gets there, he'll get rid of Belletrix once and for all. After that, he'll target Amrbosine, and destroy the main branch. Once word gets out that Neo Domino has been hit, no doubt Fallen will try to investigate. But other covens will take the attack as a signal, to start fighting back, the same ones who laid all the others to rest. Alexis will deal with those remaining soldiers, as will Jaden, while Yusei takes care of evacuating the citizens, however few there are. Neo Domino will become a battlefield, but that's alright; with everything that's happened, he didn't necessarily care as to whether or not Yusei got to keep his crumbling image.

He turned left, his foot slowly easing onto the breaks. Tonight was going to be a declaration of war, especially after what'd happened that time, when Belletrix asked him to come back. To think that she came after him, after all this time, if only to offer him a place in Fallen. Somewhere, anywhere, as long as she could look after him, as she did many years before the Black Rose had come waltzing in to their lives. Was she still mad, that Akiza nearly killed her during the execution? Did she still feel betrayed, when she found out that Yusei had joined the coven?

Well, she always was a bit of a sore loser, wasn't she?

And yet, he knew things couldn't have been that simple.

After Akiza died, he took over as the Black Rose, with Jaden and Alexis as his Queens. The other covens were jealous, and challenged his authority. He put them down. He started the game after that. Jaden and Alexis wanted to go to Duel Academy, so he let them. He heard news about the Crimson Dragon, a test subject he remembered Jaden toying around with, when they were both still in Fallen. They couldn't find anything, so he left it there. Then some time later, he hears that Akiza was still alive, and through Alexis's forceful suggestions, he decides to go and see whether or not she is.

And then…he was here.

In Neo Domino.

The game is almost finished. Fallen returned, under the guise of a new leader. Belletrix comes to him, and offers him sanctity. New friends, new enemies, the Dark Signers…

And finally, Akiza.

 _His_ Akiza.

He gripped the handles tightly, as he descended onto the civilian streets. Who was it, that changed his memories? Who exactly were the Signers, the twins, the almost useless roommates he had to save every three minutes? Who were they; Martha, and Blitz, and everyone else Yusei Fudo had befriended? And what of Goodwin and Lazar? Were they just puppets that Fallen had controlled, or did he manipulate them? What about Sayer Sayer? Why was he after him, that night, when the entire city evacuated? How did he even know Yusei's real name?

At that very moment, he saw the hotel.

And right in front of it, two familiar duel runners he'd rather not see.

* * *

Sharp, crimson bangs cascaded from the grip of her left hand, her fingers entwined in the strands. The other hand aimlessly dangled to her side, touching the soft, cool fabric of her favorite scarlet, strapless dress. Tiny, white pearls covered her neck, pearls her mother had given her when she was but a small, simple child. White, pristine gloves adorned her hands, giving her a graceful elegance she hadn't seen in a while. As a whole, her appearance was nothing special; she's donned it in every special occasion. Even when she was in the Arcadia Movement, she refused to leave both the dress and the pearls behind.

However, it seems that for tonight, she couldn't picture herself wearing this.

At least, not ever again.

Akiza stared at the bathroom mirror, taking in the growing light lodged in her pupils, the unfamiliarity of her golden eyes. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins, though nothing was happening. She could picture her own violent past reflected back at her, the very instance of quiet disappearing from her. It took her some time to turn away, only for her to notice the limiter Sayer had given her still sitting on her bed. She was about to go toward it, wearing a tense smile on her face, but she stopped herself.

No, it didn't feel right somehow.

But even so, she wasn't focusing on the headpiece. Rather, she saw a tiny, white envelop, sitting beneath it.

And it was then Akiza walked towards the bed.

She was slightly amused, when she found the invitation in the mail. Apparently, Angela was getting a promotion at work, and she was holding a little dinner party to celebrate. Personally, Akiza didn't think something like that warranted renting out an entire ballroom at the hotel, but then of course, who was she to say how Angela should spend her money? Besides, if anything, she was happy that Angela decided to do it; it'd been a while since anyone treated Akiza to anything. It was a little strange, why she couldn't have called her first, but Akiza simply figured she was too busy with all the work she'd been dealt. She found herself picking up the envelop, and she smiled to herself.

She'd just killed three people yesterday.

And now she was going to a dinner party.

She didn't believe Yusei; she'd have to be a fool to believe him. And even if they were only half-dead, even if it was only for self-defense, it was still Akiza's fault that they ended up like that. Why she went off with Yusei instead of helping them last night, she had no idea. Was it because she was shocked by the entire ordeal? Was it because she really thought she killed them that night, and following Yusei was just a way to calm herself down? She should've stayed to help them. She should've gotten someone, anyone to help them, take them to the hospital, anything at all. It would've been better than leaving them there, lying on the cold, hard ground.

So why?

Why was she so calm about it?

She clenched the envelop tightly, as her strands spilled over her eyes. She was a good person. She'd do anything to save anyone, no matter what the cost. She was going to use her powers to help people; she's already helping the Signers save the world, and that alone was more than enough to prove herself. She wasn't the witch everyone made her out to be. She wasn't a freak. Human.

She was human.

 _You're everything but._

She bit her lip. She'd seen a different side to Yusei these past few weeks, a much crueler, colder side, one that reminded her of Sayer, and sometimes, of Goodwin. It wasn't at all the Yusei she'd fallen for, back at the Fortune Cup, nor was it the Yusei she'd come to care for, the person who treated her so normally. And yet, for some reason, he could still say something like that…

But she expected him to.

She _needed_ him to.

The boy she found, back at the Fortune Cup, the boy she fought alongside against the Dark Signers, the boy she would risk everything for, had simply gone missing.

No, not missing.

That boy was but a stranger.

Suddenly, her phone rang.

Akiza jumped at the sound. She whipped her head towards her desk, staring at it for a while before taking a deep breath. She placed the invitation down and came towards the surface. She opened the tiny thing and placed it against her ear. "Hello?"

"…Akiza?"

"Jack," she replied, her eyes widening in surprise. Before long, suspicion took hold of her. "You never call."

He scoffed. "Where are you now?"

"At home. I'm actually going out somewhere. Why? Is everything okay?"

"It's…can you come over? There's something we need to talk about. You…me, and Crow."

She stole a glance at her alarm clock; almost six thirty. And with the traffic, she'd just barely make it. Still, both Jack and Crow were a good friend of hers, even if they didn't get along as often as she would like. "Um, sure. I'll head over to the garage-"

"No, not there. Can you come to the Miyaki Hotel, at around seven?"

Akiza blinked. "I'm actually going there right now," she answered, as she tucked her bangs behind her ears. "But we can't talk over the phone about this?"

"…No."

She sighed, as she sped out the door. "Fine, I'll meet you there."

"Good." And with that, Jack hung up.

She stared at the phone for a bit. From the corner of her eyes, shapes of blurs past her, her own, dark silhouette trailing after her. She bit the inside of her cheek, as she raced down her staircase. She grabbed a small, golden purse and put her phone inside.

The driver was already pulling up.


	52. Chapter 52

Golden lights came from the silver chandeliers above, reflecting back against the immaculately organized banquet. The elegant display was simply sitting on a long, Victorian table in the middle of the room. There were foods of every kind there; foods that were black and blue and red and orange all over; foods that tasted bitter and sweet and sour and spicy, all at once; foods that he couldn't even begin to name; foods that he figured not even Jack knew, considering the fact that he was just standing there, staring dumbly at the feast. A light yellow table cloth descended to the wooden floors, with the tip of his knee brushing against the edge of the cloth. Towards the center of that table was a tall, black candle, surrounded by withered roses and vines. It was already lit, giving the supposed dinner party a somewhat macabre appearance, a ominous aura not even Crow could deny.

The knives seemed too sharp, the spoons too large, and if he looked to the sides, he could practically see the dark, decadent ceiling of the hotel. There were light brown, marble staircases that descended towards him, seemingly caging him within the arrays of his own, demonic delusions. The fact that there was an array of empty chairs sitting beside both he and Jack hadn't helped. And yet, despite that, he couldn't help but notice the largest of the chairs at the ends. They were red for some reason; red, decorated with black flowers he didn't recognize.

He and Jack sat across from each other. Neither of them refused to touch the food, not even bothering to disguise the suspicion surrounding them. Jack still had the invitation stuffed in his jacket. He was tapping his finger impatiently along the table's edge, as his hand crept towards the spoon. Crow, on the other hand, simply sat there, fists clenched, as he waited for Belial to arrive.

He gazed at that candle for a while, before turning back to his silver plate. He caught sight of his face then; anxious shadows decorated the bottom of his eyelids, with worry lines embedded permanently on his forehead. He hadn't been able to relax for the past few ours; just this morning, a couple of bodies were found in an alleyway, all three of which their skins and bones carved out from their corpses. Their limbs were twisted all the way around, with withered rose petals left behind the scene. The reporters are all calling it yet another attack from the terrorists; as of this point, no one knew what kind of message the group was trying to send. And even if there was a message, Crow knew better.

Because during that time, Yusei was nowhere to be found.

"Mr. Hogan?"

His head shot up. Quickly, he turned towards the voice, as did Jack. He could feel his shoulders tense, his eyes widen in confusion. But just as quickly as it came, the tension left him, and he relaxed.

A woman.

A woman he'd seen before.

She cocked her head a bit, all the while smiling politely. She wore black, strapless dress, with a skirt that came all the way down to the floor. There was a large, golden crescent moon dangling from her throat, and when she made her way to the table, that same necklace seemingly swayed back and forth, like a pendulum. Her creamy pale skin matched the ominous presence the entire feast laid claim to, though it seemed she never noticed. Carefully, she brushed aside her golden strands, as she sat down at the end of the table, with her emerald eyes scrutinizing them both. "And Mr. Atlas; how could I forget?"

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Yeah? And who're you supposed to be? Where's Belial?""

She settled back into her seat. "Right. Well, Belial's entertaining my other guests at the moment. As for me," she continued, placing her right hand on her collarbone, "my name is Angela Raines. I'm a reporter for the WGGK."

"I see. And what's a _reporter_ doing here?"

"My job," she said quietly. "I trust that Belial's already told you both everything?"

"Wait, hold up." Crow looked back and forth from the two, before resting his gaze on Jack. "You _know_ her from somewhere?"

Jack was silent for a single moment, the ice entwined in his pupils. It wasn't long before a deep, dark scowl came onto Jack's face. "She's one of Carly's colleagues, from what I remember. She's the one who first broke the news that I was from the Satellite, back when we were still fighting those Dark Signers."

Crow paused for a moment, before turning back to Angela Raines. So that's where he's seen her, not to mention all the times she's been on national television. She's particularly famous for digging up scandals about famous celebs, and as of now, she's got her sights set on Yusei. But to think…that she could link Yusei to some bad guys roaming the streets was just ridiculous; to be honest, it's like a bad joke no one laughed at. Besides, even if she's got some talent for being a little tattletale, more than half her stories are probably fake. And besides, Crow knew Yusei; even if things are a little weird now, there's no way he could take anything that happened here seriously.

"Mr. Hogan," she suddenly said, causing him to snap to attention. "I see you haven't tried any of your food yet."

He caught the disappointed smile on her face. He flippantly turned away then, gritting his teeth as he did. "Not hungry."

"That's a shame," she whispered. She looked down at her plate, with both hands on either side of the silverware. "I had the staff prepare foods I'd thought you'd like. I even took pains, just to make sure the appearance was suited for you both; so neither of you are satisfied?"

"Stop playing around _Angela,"_ Jack snapped. "I feel stupid enough as it is. What exactly do you want from us?"

"I guess so." She took a deep breath, then turned her gaze to Jack. She stared at him for a while, before smirking emptily. "Well, I shouldn't have expected anything less. Nikolai was difficult to please too."

"His name is Yusei," Crow cut in.

Her gaze softened. "Like any good reporter, I'm only here to tell you the truth."

"You're nothing but a load of bull-crap."

"Even after everything you've seen, you've still so much faith in him?"

He sat back. "Hell yeah I do."

"Look, we realize you're only trying to do your job," Jack began, as he placed his elbows on the desk. "But we don't have time for any interviews right now. Go to Carly if you're looking for some stories-"

"That's funny. I didn't expect Jack Atlas to stoop so low."

"What-?"

"The mall hijacking? That poor, pathetic hospital being burned down? The men with those roses around their necks? The fact that your so-called "friends" were caught up in all of that? You do want to know more, don't you?"

Crow clutched both his arm rests. "If you're just gonna accuse Yusei again, then-"

And he stopped.

He came down from the steps, in the same manner Angela Raines had. His hands were in his pockets, his raven bangs swaying over his normally bright, french blue eyes. He was wearing the same clothes he usually was, with the same marker seared onto his cheek. But despite that, a serious frown was painted against his lips, and when he saw both Jack and Crow, he merely shrugged, as he made his way toward the other end of the table. Crow's eyes followed him as he did, and though he tried calling out to him, the words were lodged in his throat.

A black rose.

There was a black rose on his neck.

Yusei finally turned to the reporter, with sheer malice in his eyes.

* * *

Akiza entered through the large, iron doors. Her fingertips gently touched the surface, as she peeked her head out, trying to see if there was anyone around. Stray strands fell to her eyes, before she sighed, and stepped into the room. She tucked the strands behind her ear and shut the door.

A black chandelier hung from the ceiling, a sharp contrast to the angels painted nearby. The evening colors gave way to a dark, golden light which shone from overhead. Large, Gothic windows towards the back of the room portrayed the city horizon, with dark, red curtains aimlessly dangling from each side. The red carpet beneath had tiny, green vines slowly swirling around them, with brown buds that seemingly danced to the sounds of some toxin being spread around. Pink, empty chairs leaned against every wall, each with a single, white rose sitting upon them. She looked at those roses for a while, before turning to what seemed to be two, covered up canvases, each of which were hanging on either side of the room. When she turned back, she found a third one, just above that iron door. She narrowed her eyes, as she turned back. A few seconds later, her eyes fell to a single, table in the middle of the room. There was something underneath, with only a thin table cloth to cover it up.

She walked toward it. Where was Angela? And the other guests? Was this all there was? Of course, Akiza thought it was a little much, but still, she expected more from the reporter, especially all the fuss she was making about it before. Akiza couldn't help but sigh. She was about to dig through her purse for her phone, when she bit her lip, stopping just a few inches away from the table.

The familiar scent of iron struck her.

Her golden eyes came toward the white table cloth. She clenched her fists, as she reached over and grabbed the edge of the fabric. She paused for a single moment, hesitation decorating her frame. Slowly, she started to draw her hand back.

"Ms. Izinski, I take it?"

Akiza turned back, and saw a young woman standing a just two feet behind her. She was around the same age as Angela, though Akiza caught the sight of small, tiny wrinkles from the corner of her eyes. She had light brown skin, and raven locks, which cascaded down her black business suite. Sharp, amethyst eyes stared at Akiza callously, a dark, cold smile forming on her lips. Her fingers toyed painfully with each other as the woman returned Akiza's gaze. She leaned forward a bit. "I _am_ talking with Ms. Izinski, aren't I?"

Akiza snapped to attention, promptly letting go of the sheet. "Y-yes! I ah…are you here for the dinner party too?"

The woman stopped for a brief second, before nodding. "I am. Ah, I'm sorry, where are my manners?" She walked towards Akiza and held out her hand. "Sarah Amrbosine. It's nice to meet you."

The witch took it gladly. "Nice to meet you too. How'd you-?"

"Angela talks about you all the time," she replied, letting go of Akiza's hand then. The woman known as Sarah Amrbosine swept past her, and strolled to the table cloth. Carefully, she took hold of the edge, and looked back. "And I should know. One of my coworkers works with her all the time. She's really good at what she does."

"I've…heard."

"Yes well, she is." Sarah continued, as she turned back. Carefully, she lifted up the sheet and peeked at whatever hopeless thing was lying underneath the cloth. Her shoulders shook slightly, and Akiza realized she was laughing. "She really is a piece of work though. Ah well, at the very least she'll get what she deserves."

"What?"

"This _is_ her promotion party tonight," Sarah stated simply. "And it wouldn't have been fair for her if we didn't bring any gifts. She's paying for everything after all."

Akiza gave the woman an uneasy smile. "R-right," she said quietly, before turning away. The tension was splayed in the air. From the corner of her eyes, the cloth which covered the canvases seemed to beckon her, drawing her in with dark delight. If she squinted, she could see the tiniest of colors hidden beneath, colors she knew she'd seen before.

"So, what'd you think?"

Akiza turned back. "About what?"

"About my little gift?" The woman stepped aside, her hand resting against the table. "I really want you to see it; you are her friend, aren't you?"

Quietly, Akiza nodded, before making her way to Sarah. She stopped, and stared down at the thing.

A horrible stench.

With iron on it.

And from the side, a long, grotesque shadow, reaching out for her.

Akiza bit her lip, paling at the scene. She's seen this before.

She knew she had.

And without a moment longer, Sarah tore back the sheet.

There were bluish, bulging bruises all over its face, the whites in its corneas shimmering in red and black. Its lips were stitched messily into one big, twisted smile, with its fangs glued onto the sides of its cheeks. Brown and blond hair meshed together, with nearly half the strands falling to one side of its disfigured skull. What looked like black vines were etched into its skin, the blackening crimson carved in for everyone to see. The pearls it wore on its neck dangled from its throat, and the black tuxedo it had on was torn to shreds. A pink ribbon hung desperately from its falling hair, and though she couldn't make much of it out, Akiza could still see the black rose entwined within it. Its limbs were torn off, and if she undressed the thing, she very well see its torso, and all the other organs that comprised it. Stains upon stains of putrid filth befell upon the poor thing, and yet, despite that, Akiza felt neither sympathy nor empathy for the creature. In fact, she felt the same as she did before. It was like with those three, the night she killed them.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Sarah murmured, stroking its cheek tenderly. "It's a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. I'm planning on giving it to her as a gift."

Akiza flickered her eyes darkly towards the woman. She caught sight of an obsessive light, one that she could recognize just as easy.

Angela Raines, a reporter who would do anything just to get a good story. A woman that was fairly concerned for an intern that never even liked her. Carly's rival, a tattletale, a storyteller, a national icon.

And a friend, who gave her spider-lilies, as a get-well present.

Spider-lilies.

Amaryllises.

She found herself backing away.

"I've heard a lot of really bad rumors about you, Ms. Izinski." Sarah instantly whispered, causing Akiza to stop. "A lot of really, really bad things."

"W-what-?"

"The Black Rose," she stated loudly, as she turned back. Her bangs fell to her eyes, as she stared her down, drinking in the silence which decorated the macabre surrounding the two. "Surely you've heard of him before."

Akiza narrowed her eyes. She straightened then, the confidence brimming in her eyes. "I have. The terrorist, right?"

"So that's what you're calling him now? A terrorist?"

"What're you-?"

"I thought he was your sweetheart."

Akiza stared in horror, as the body arose from its confinement. Its head hung forward, with a sickening crack resounding in the air. A low groan arose from its throat, before tiny coughs escaped from its throat. Sarah's hand fell to her side then, as she glared at Akiza. "Queens aren't replaceable," she said quietly. "But concubines are. Still, he's got a lot of guts, to try and protect you."

Akiza could feel herself trembling. She stared at the corpse, as it slowly ambled out of its tiny, makeshift grave. It fell on the floor with a hard _thud,_ with pieces of its own, rotting flesh sticking to the floors.

"But what I can't understand is why."

She took one step towards Akiza, and then another, and then another. And just behind her, Akiza could see the slightest twitches of the body behind her. "He's killed so many people, ruined so many lives. I can't understand why he would want to have anything to do with you."

The next thing she knew, she saw the corpse lunging for her.


	53. Chapter 53

A young boy, no older than fourteen.

A young, handsome boy, who was racing towards her, with that rotting corpse of his.

Akiza ran away from him, tripping over her heels as she did. She slammed on the ground; she gasped at the pressure, all the while endeavoring to sort through her alert, panicked instincts. Her heart was racing, her palms sweating at the adrenaline coursing through her body. She clenched her teeth, as she scrambled up, only for that creature to grab her ankle and twist it, a sickening crack resounding in the air.

A sharp pain engulfed her. Her eyes automatically shut, but before she could cry out, it slammed her head against the ground. A loud hiss escaped from her lips. She managed to open her eyes, only to find that tiny boy on top of her, with both claws wrapped around her throat, its nails already drawing blood from her throat.

Automatically, she gripped those hands, and started attempting to pry them away from her. Her fingers were trembling at its hardened, disgusting patterns its veins so delicately made, its ice cold skin scorching her own flesh. From the corner of her eyes, she could see her bruised ankle there, with large bruises beginning to form. She stole a look back up, and saw herself reflected back in the whites of its eyes, her own pain slowly overtaking its senses. It bore its fangs at her, with a predatory look that embedded her mind.

A boy.

A child, no older than fourteen.

And there were children, just like him.

"I'm impressed."

Akiza blinked, before turning her head toward Sarah. She was just standing there, that woman, with a simple smirk on her face. Both hands her on her hips, as she surveyed Akiza. Before long, she walked to the witch with curiosity etched into her expression. "Just a few seconds ago, you looked scared. Really scared."

A few moments of silence passed between the two, before Sarah sighed. "And now, nothing. Even if you get him off you, I don't think you'd run."

Akiza bit her lip. She narrowed her eyes, as she began forcefully shoving the monster away from her, the edge of its nails on her jugular. "You think I should?" she barely grunted.

Sarah scoffed. "You know, you're a lot stronger than you look. It's a shame you're going to have to die tonight."

"Don't…make me laugh," she scowled, as the creature drew closer.

Strange; it shouldn't be as sadistic as it is now. Frankly, with its exposed ribs and emaciated frame, it'd probably be starving as of now. And even if it wasn't, it wouldn't have wasted any time at all, simply toying around with its meal; it'd only give time for its prey to get away.

But this room was clean, and no one would dare clean up for something as disgusting as this. Bloodstains, body parts, organs; anything at all should be lying somewhere around here, scattered like a filthy nest, with little use for secrets. But what's more, if it was going to attack her, especially in a state like this, Akiza could easily avoid it. It was only running on primal instinct; she doubted it could even catch a baby, what with the way it's acting now.

But that wasn't right, was it?

Sarah cocked her head. "You've got the same, adorable expression your mentor had."

Akiza flickered her eyes up toward her in confusion, but the woman only smiled. "My, I'd forgotten his name. But he was just like you, all defiant and prideful and the like."

"What…what the _hell_ -?!"

"But alas, he was so childish." She sighed. She closed her eyes, and placed a single hand beneath her cheek. "After everything he's seen, what with the Black Rose attacking him, and the the incident at the hospital, to think he'd lose his mind that quickly…"

Hospital.

She quickly moved her hand toward the creature's shoulder. With one, single stroke, she stopped it from moving toward her. She could feel it struggling beneath her grip, but somehow, she managed to sit up just a tiny bit. Its claws were still on her throat, and though it gave its crushing blow for a brief second, she managed to grab its fingers, and hold it in place once again. Her bangs fell toward her face, making it hard to see the creature's hopeless gaze. "What…what are you…?"

She raised her eyebrows. "You mean you still haven't figured it out? Well, here's a little hint." She leaned towards Akiza, her lips barely touching her ear. "Congratulations; you led me to a wonderful gift, a gift that I've already given Ms. Raines tonight."

" _The hell-?!"_

"The Black Rose."

Black Rose.

A witch.

Sarah giggled softly. "You're here. Of course your little boyfriend would come to save you.

"Still," Sarah continued, as she stood. She crossed both arms over her chest and turned away, staring off into the dark lights shimmering from afar. "I can't say I'm happy with this arrangement. Innocent people still had to die, after all. But as long as that psychopath's off the streets, I'm fine. I never expected him to be in the Arcadia Movement though, nor did I predict that, he'd still stay by your side, a mere human. Well, he always was a slippery one, wasn't he?"

The Arcadia Movement.

A man, who had stayed by her side, after all this time.

A human, who used the title, the Black Rose.

"Are you still confused, little rose?" she asked then. She twisted back around, her own, raven hair falling towards her eyes. An unreadable expression crossed her face, the smile immediately vanishing from her lips. "Then I'll give you another hint."

Akiza closed her eyes. She's managed to get its claws at least an inch away from her. Though the boy's snapping at her, somehow, she managed to stay out of reach, what with that short neck of his. Slowly, she lifted both her legs towards its chest. She tightened her grip around its fragile wrists, with the same, sharp crack echoing throughout the room.

And yet Sarah stood there, with an expectant frown on her face. Even after Akiza managed to kick that thing away from her, after she turned to Sarah, all the while eyeing that creature carefully, the two, deep puncture holes drilled into its chest, as it slunk away from her, though the same, predatory light resided in its eyes, Sarah remained calm. She looked up at Akiza then. "Sayer's dead."

Dead.

He's dead.

 _Are you okay?_

 _You don't have to worry about anything._

 _Go back home, and sleep for a while._

Her chest began aching. She could feel the cold shrouding her mind, as that tiny boy began lunging for her again. Sarah was saying something, but Akiza merely tuned her out, the flurries of words coming back to her. And then, in that moment, she saw the monster, right in front of her.

 _He wasn't very human to begin with. None of us were._

She could feel its sharp claws against her abdomen, tearing apart the fabric of her dress. She narrowed her eyes, her hazy vision instantly becoming clear. She growled at the creature, as it reached for her again. Left, then right, then left again, while the holes in its chest were closing. Even if it was for a split second, even Akiza could tell that none of those organs were beating.

 _We were born and raised in a little hole, right in the middle of hell._

She clenched her fists, before sweeping past it. She heard an the monster crash into the iron door, before rebounding back for her. Akiza held both her arms up, her own, surging power, once again, taking over her body. No, that won't work this time; for some reason, this thing was too heavy. She needed something else.

 _You honestly think you can just stand there, feeling sorry for yourself?_

That monster came after her again.

 _Did you save them because you thought it'd make you feel more human?_

She cried out when it slammed her into the table. She fell on her back, but managed to catch sight of the creature racing after her. Without thinking, she grabbed the edge of the cloth, and stood. When that monster landed on the table, she shoved the cloth around its face, and forced it down to the table.

 _Then that makes you an arrogant fool who doesn't know right from wrong. You shouldn't be so prideful as to think you can save the people who are already lost._

The monster was writhing in her grip.

 _Did you want to torture them some more?_

"Shut up," she muttered.

 _Did you want to watch them starve to death?_

She tightened her grip around the cloth, its claws piercing her skin, the dark, crimson marks drawing out a bloody mess from her own, decadent body.

 _Did you want to see them living on the streets, like a bunch of sewer rats?_

"I said shut up."

 _If it wasn't for those murders, you wouldn't have been able to make an example of them._

She gritted her teeth. "Quiet!"

 _You wouldn't have been able to escape._

"That's not true!"

 _If you hadn't, I'm pretty sure we'd end up like all the other failures._

She didn't know how long it was, before that monster, the little boy, stopped moving. She didn't know how long she stood there, with an ephemeral eternity passing over her. She could only see white in front of her, with her bloody stains covering the cloth.

And then she heard something.

 _Don't you get it?_

She saw Sarah standing there, her eyes wide, her mouth open.

 _That's why I turned away, when you killed Meredith._

There was a bone sticking out of her abdomen.

 _Why I followed you, after all this time._

There was hope in her eyes, as she reached out to Akiza, begging that she be saved.

 _If you were anything else, you wouldn't have spared Alexis or Jaden._

There was someone standing behind her.

 _You would've killed them, the moment you saw them._

Akiza couldn't help but straighten, the moment she saw that familiar face.

Belial.

* * *

As of this point, they probably didn't know what to think.

Jack and Crow were staring at him, the shock of the betrayal enveloping them. Neither of them had said anything, but he could read the silence clearly, the very instance of misery coming away from them. And the thoughts in their minds were as clear as day; after all this time, their childhood buddy had been keeping secrets from them, and big ones, at that. The comrade they knew, the duelist who fought by their side, the best friend they've all relied on and trusted for so long, the handyman, the King of Turbo Dueling, Martha's little angel, was now crumbling before them, revealing a stranger they knew nothing of. Yusei knew, because the first question Crow asked, was "Why?"

But rather, Yusei ignored him. Instead, he turned his attention to sister dearest, who was sitting smugly in front of him. His eyes fell to the grotesque feast before him, the familiar aroma of Death surrounding it, along with the scent of bitter almonds shrouding it. "If you're going to poison someone," he began, "you shouldn't have made it so obvious."

Belletrix clapped her hands. "So, you've still got some sense after all."

His eyes swirled over to the two duelists, who were now staring down at their food, their jaws open. "What're _they_ doing here?"

Belletrix only smirked, before turning her eyes to Jack. It took a while, but finally, the blonde clenched his fists.

"What'd you _think_ we're doing here? We heard some bloc talking about you, and we decided to come! Yusei, what are you wearing?! And what's with the dead flower on your neck?!"

She cocked her head. "You heard him. Go on; answer him."

Yusei settled back in his seat, catching the confident gleam in her eyes "I don't need to say anything though, do I? Seems you've already told them everything about me."

"Only on the surface. As far as I'm concerned, I've told them everything I know. It's up to you a to whether or not you want to tell them the rest."

Once again, Yusei's eyes fell to the feast before him.

"Yusei!"

The witch flickered his eyes toward Crow.

"Why the hell aren't you saying anything?!" he demanded. "Is…is she right about everything?! Are you really hurting people?!" When Yusei didn't answer, Crow gritted his teeth. He stood, the loud scratch echoing throughout the ballroom. "Come on man, say something!"

Yusei could feel both Jaden and Alexis closing in on the room. Any moment now, from the corner of his eyes, he'd see their silhouettes along the corners of the feast, with Alexis ogling the feast. And Belletrix wasn't too far away from him either. It'd be quick. Afterwards, he can just erase their memories later.

"Nikolai," she said then, snapping him to attention. She leaned towards him, the golden strands of her falling over her collarbone. "I've heard you've been doing some spring cleaning. Is that true?"

He narrowed his eyes. "What I said before still stands; Neo Domino is Black Rose territory; just because some of your goons are already here, doesn't mean I have to put up with them for much longer."

She smiled. "I know. Some of your allies have actually begun attacking Amrbosine. And might I say, you're doing a wonderful job of it."

"What?"

"She never really was a good successor anyways," she explained, as she grabbed a single, silver fork, and began digging through the turkey in front of her. "She was nothing like you, or Christoph, for that matter. She was so naive, thinking that she could help people in the sorry state she was in. She didn't realize she was nothing more than a simple pawn, and a disobedient one at that. So annoying-"

"Yus…Yus _what_ is she _talking_ about? And…and Black Rose? The hell is all this?!" Crow shouted.

Yusei felt the slightest shock flicker across his face. All the while, Belletrix kept playing with the tucker now slopped onto the plate. "So she was like Mree?"

Belletrix looked sharply at him. "She was _pathetic_. She can't even _begin_ to compare to Meredith. And I'd rather you not say her name again. You did betray me after all."

"I didn't do anything," he snapped. He stopped himself then. He took a deep breath, before continuing on. Where were they? "You killed her then? Amrbosine?"

"No. Your sweetheart did."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

She laid one hand against her cheek. "My, you're just as confused as she is, at the moment." Her hand fell back down to the table then, a disgusted frown plastered on her lips. "One of your Queens had already hacked into those files. You should know who she is."

Jaden said they had one new member.

And that…was Amaryllis Nite.

And experiment that he killed, long ago.

"Now, I know what you're thinking," Belletrix continued. She clasped both hands together, as she taunted his shock. "Aki? _My Aki?_ Working with the likes of _you?!_ Impossible! Blasphemy! She wold never do something like that! After all…I _have_ been drugging her."

After what seemed like a forever of quiet, Belletrix snickered. She straightened herself, the mocking tone falling from her voice. "I've done everything I could to keep her safe. And after what she told me the other night, I'm not going to drag her down anymore. I'll let her keep her sweet dreams. I'll let her live with her broken promises, even if it means I have to suffer the same fate. She _is_ my king-"

Yusei stood up promptly. How'd she-?!

"Nikolai-"

"Yusei."

Belletrix sighed. "Really now, after everything that's happened, you're still going to cling to that name. In all honesty, I-"

"I don't give a _damn_ about what you think," Yusei growled, causing her to fall silent. He straightened himself then, as, once again, his eyes come to the food. Those two had stopped for some reason, Jaden and Alexis. He forced himself to return to the situation at hand, the millions of emotions torrentially coming undone. "It was you, wasn't it?"

She raised a curious eyebrow. "Be more specific."

He clenched his fists. "You're the only one I know…who could pull off cloning shit like this. Aside from Jaden, that is."

A brief pause passed between the two. Belletrix stared at him for a single moment, then turned away, a saccharine smile on her face. "Memories are a troubling thing."

"What?"

Belletrix looked back at him. All three duelists bombarded her with silent questions, demanding the answers only their hearts would know, the atmosphere beginning to choke on the tension. She placed her fork down on the table, and gazed up at them, first at Crow, then at Jack, and finally, at Yusei, who was seething. It wasn't long before she finally turned away, her eyes demurely lowered to the table.

"Don't pretend you haven't seen it Nikolai," she said. "The fact that you're here somehow, under a different name, living a different life, with a different fate in store for you. All of a sudden, you've got our mark on you, and everything and everyone you've ever known…it's all just lies, though some part of you refuses to believe it."

Yusei's lips parted.

"You came here to find Akiza, along with those two brats in tow. You heard that she was alive, that she was living here, in Neo Domino."

He stiffened. "So you've been stalking me?"

"I was curious."

"About?"

She placed her elbows on the table. "About whether or not your were still human."

Human.

"Enough games Belletrix." Yusei said angrily, as he stepped out. "Why don't you start answering my questions first? Like how you could possibly know all of that. What right do you have to mention her at all?"

"Oh?" Her eyes flickered to Jack and Crow. The words were lodged in their throats, their clouded expressions still trying to understand what was going on, why this was all happening. Despite their thinking, they couldn't think of anything that satisfied their memories, anything at all that lined up with their own, rotten expectations. "You're not going to keep up appearances anymore? Weren't they Akiza's friends?"

He narrowed his eyes, his fists tightened. "You were using her…"

Belletrix shook her head. "No."

"Liar."

She smirked. "You know, you're really loyal, you know that?"

And then something clicked.

After the Signer's victories, everything finally fell into place, and it things were looking up. Everything was perfect, from the city restructuring itself, and discrimination simply falling to pieces. The heroes have defeated the final villain, and good triumphed over all.

It was like a fairytale Akiza loved repeating to herself.

A story that she wouldn't allow to end.

"Still, I admit, I'm shocked," he heard her say. "Even after you disobeyed her that evening, I didn't think Akiza would go this far, just to keep her promise."

"…A promise…that-"

 _That we're still us, by the end of the day, attached to a burden called humanity._

"That you are, in fact, still human."


	54. Chapter 54

It first struck Alexis, slamming her into the walls of the hotel corridor. Her piercing scream shattered the air as the paintings fell around her, the outer frames breaking at the seams. Jaden could barely turn back, when he instantly shoved forward. He gasped in pain, as his cheek hit the hard ground. He could hear Alexis struggling, trying to break free from the monster's grip, all the while slashing its limbs with all the strength she could muster. He clenched his fists, and staggered upwards, her name at the very tip of his lips.

But all he saw were fangs, at that moment.

Still, he forced himself to move. He dragged his nails across its face, the tiny droplets of blood carelessly falling to the side. In the same instant, he grabbed its collar and threw it away from him, his familiar mental prowess calling forth the delicate seams of the nightmares to him. Thick, black tendrils stabbed the creature's abdomen, recklessly flinging it away from side to side, the violent presence gleefully listening to every twisted crack in its body. Jaden stood shakily, as he stared down at the struggling creature, before turning back and racing towards Alexis.

A burning sensation choked his spine. He could feel his body screeching at the seams, desperately endeavoring to come away from the chaotic paralysis. He couldn't move, couldn't do anything; instead, his own, mentality kept thrashing around, doing whatever it could to break free from its prison. He hissed when the sensations increased, the pressure of it now distorting his entire frame. He fell to the ground then, his knees slamming against the rugs, as he dug his nails into the wooden floorboards. Little droplets of blood came down the side of his forehead.

At that same instant, he felt his power drawing back to him. He could feel the ice beneath his skin, his temperature dropping bit by bit, the bare footsteps callously draping the atmosphere around him. He could feel his own shadows coil around him, suffocating him, crushing nearly every bone in his body without mercy, or regret. He choked as the blood came spilling from his mouth. He felt two nails carefully wrapping themselves around his throat, piercing through the thin layers of his neck. Though he tried resisting, his panicked instincts only served to cloud his mind. The hard wall greeted Jaden's back then, pushing all the breath from his body. He gasped desperately, his vision blurring with dark, crimson spots all over.

And then he saw Alexis in front of him, with bloody rivers down her arm.

She narrowly dodged the creature's gleaming claws, deftly dancing between their two silhouettes as she tried getting closer, only to flee from its attacks once more. Jaden flinched at the pain, his eyes endeavoring to focus themselves. Before long, he heard a crash; he looked up, and saw Alexis standing over the figure, her back turned to his.

He clenched his fists, as he stood. He could feel each limb snap back into place, the connective tissues beginning now only beginning to reform. He cracked his neck, and paused for a brief second, as Alexis examined the creature before them. He narrowed his eyes. He bit the inside of his cheek, before walking over to Alexis.

Dark, raven hair was splayed all over that creature's face. Even from here, he could make out the grotesque wounds plastered on its face, the bluish whites of its corneas showing off its equally pale skin. A tiny stream of scarlet trickled down its chin, toward the stitches that seemed to spread out to the rest of its body, like a spider web. It was dressed in rags, of course, the same rags the other failures had to don. Jaden stayed where he was, the adrenaline gradually receding from him. "What're you waiting for?" he asked. "Yusei's waiting for us."

She didn't answer.

" _Alexis."_

"She looks familiar."

Jaden blinked. Nervously, he shifted toward the creature, his eyes never once leaving its disfigured limbs. He scrutinized the scene for a while, then stole a glance at Alexis, who was simply standing there. There was a vacant look on her face. Her eyes were clouded, and a slight frown tugged at her lips.

Strands of hair fell to her steel eyes, as she looked on at the monster before her. He'd seen that look before; it was the very same look she had, when she was staring at Drevis, and all the other aristocrats in the game, the same look when she hugged that dollhouse, only to play with the figurines afterwards, simply because she got bored of feeling sad all the time, the same look when she saw Aki and Yusei together, by their lonesome, the same look when she remembered something important, though she couldn't bring herself to say what.

A memory.

She remembered something.

He stiffened. "You knew it?"

She shook her head. "I've seen pictures…but I think you do, though." Carefully, she turned back, and gestured him forward.

Jaden bit the inside of his cheek. Cautiously, he walked toward Alexis. He regarded the blonde evenly; she nodded, and it was then he looked down.

His eyes widened.

"Mree?"

* * *

"CUT THE CRAP!"

Yusei was shocked awake, his wide, blue orbs taking in the darkness around it. The low lights cast their ominous shadows, as their overbearing darkness swirling around the feast. He couldn't help but turn to Jack then, who had just slammed his fist down onto the table. His amethyst eyes reflected only Belletrix's smug face, which was brimming with confidence. Yusei could see the anger boiling inside his friend, with his equally frustrated snarl trying to tear her apart.

"Human?" he mocked. "Are you _fucking kidding me?!_ You're a loon! After everything that's happened, you think you can pull something like that on us?!"

Belletrix flickered her feral eyes toward him.

Jack visibly flinched, but took a deep breath, and continued on, ignoring Crow's warning hiss, or Yusei's stoic frown; just like that, getting just as defensive as he always had, without taking anyone else into consideration. He slammed his hand against his chest, and puffed it out. "I've known Yusei for forever, and so has Crow! We've been to hell and back, and we aren't going to let some _reporter_ tear us apart like that!" He straightened. "He's my best friend, and I won't let you just sit there spouting lies about him like that. So whatever you're thinking, Yusei's got nothing to do with it. I should know; I've known him for forever."

Belletrix raised a cocky eyebrow. She snickered silently, her hand barely covering her subtle taunting. "It's your call Nikolai. Are you really just going to let them fight for you? They've got nothing to do with this."

"We're friends," Jack stated stubbornly. "We stick by each other, no matter what."

"Nikolai-"

"His _name_ is _Yusei."_

"What wonderful friends you have!"

Jack clenched his fists. "Shut _up."_

"Well? What's it gonna be?"

"You crazy-!"

"Jack," Yusei stated in a hard voice. "Sit. _Down_."

"But-!"

"Belletrix," Yusei continued, causing Jack to fall silent. He regarded her evenly, as he slowly sank back into his seat, her own, elegant shadows dancing to the tunes of some, corrupt lullaby, only one that she could hear. "When Jaden checked the records, it turns out Akiza was a new member."

"That's right. She came to me, or rather, to Amrbosine, willingly."

He narrowed his eyes. "But she doesn't have her memories."

Belletrix smirked. "Blind faith can only get you so far, especially when you're in love with someone."

"Being in love and being faithful are two different things," he scowled.

Yusei stopped himself then, stealing a quick glance at both Crow and Jack, before continuing on. He tightened his fists. "Not only is Akiza here, but we are too. We're friends with people we've never met, fought battles that we normally wouldn't have fought. And all the while, my game was still going on, though a majority of my territories; it seems the other covens depend on me now more than ever.

"What of it?"

"You could've just wiped us out, but you didn't. Why?"

"I told you, remember?" she said softly. He couldn't help but catch the tiniest hint of frustrated nostalgia embedded in her voice. "You're my baby brother; I couldn't leave you behind, in a world like that."

"B-B-BROTHER?!" Crow screeched. His eyes widened at the seams, the surprise dragging him under. Yusei flinched at his high-pitched voice, but nonetheless, he ignored him. "What about Jaden?"

Her left eye twitched. "We've been through this. He's _dead,_ Nikolai."

"But that's not it, is it? You're not just using your own, sorry feelings to get you out of facing the truth. You're using Akiza too, aren't you?"

"I told you before, I'm not _using_ her," she snapped, her piercing green eyes reflecting back his own. She smiled callously then, the crude cruelty shinning against the surface of her teeth. "You haven't touched the food yet."

"Enough _games_ Belletrix; I'm not as _patient_ as I used to be."

She paused for a single moment, before laughing. "If you're that curious, then fine. I'd prefer it this way anyways.

"Akiza came to Amrbosine, some fifty years ago. You should've seen her, nothing at all like the witch that'd swiped you and Mree from me. She was absolutely pathetic; every five seconds, she kept crying out gibberish spells she read from fairytales and legends, kept saying sorry over and over again, kept hiding from some imaginary boogeyman hiding in the shadows. She was like a tiny infant, wouldn't stop crying even if we wanted her to, and even when she did, she'd merely sit there, staring at nothing in particular. The normals would come up to Amrbosine all the time, and ask her where she was made, like a smooth, porcelain doll." Belletrix chuckled at the memory. "She was pitiful. She didn't have an ounce of self-worth left."

"And where were you?" Yusei hissed, the stinging insult cutting him in half.

"Nearby."

Suffocating silence slammed itself between the two, the tension, once again, wrapping itself around his throat. After a few seconds, she straightened. "Whenever Amrbosine asked her what she was talking about, the poor thing simply refused to answer. It seems that, by then, her memories were shrouded."

"Shrouded?"

She nodded. "Shrouded by bittersweet longing; it seems she missed the innocence she never even had. She couldn't do anything about it, of course. No matter how many times she gouged out her heart, or how many times she ripped out her eyes, or sowed her lips shut, or ripped out every part of her stomach, inch by pitiful inch, she never could seem to forget the nostalgia she had, for a past she couldn't even remember. To Amrbosine, this strange woman looked like she was making a fuss over nothing, and even if there was something, that incompetent creature could never have figured it out."

Yusei narrowed his eyes. "Why didn't you kill Akiza then?"

"She was interesting." She leaned her elbow against the armrest, and set her cheek on the back of her hand. Her eyes became cloudy, though the corrupt excitement still lingered. "You see, she couldn't bear to say any of her coven members' names. And whenever that title, the _Black Rose Witch,_ was mentioned, she started screaming. As you could imagine, Amrbosine felt sorry for the poor girl. She wanted to everything she could to help her; in her mind, that's what leaders were supposed to do.

"And help her she did. Examinations, biopsies, scans, practically everything that was available to her, Amrbosine followed through with. It wasn't long before she found out that Akiza used to be one of Fallen's experiments, a piece of artwork that a majority of our scientists kept trying to recreate, Christoph included."

"H-hold up…" Crow stammered uncertainly. "So…so Akiza's…?"

"She didn't lie to anyone." Yusei rectified hastily, silencing Crow easily, though he never took his gaze off Belletrix. "And as for you-"

"Yes well," she continued stiffly, "of course, Amrbosine was shocked. Still, she hadn't the slightest idea of who Akiza actually was; all this time, she was after you. While she did feel sorry for the girl, she couldn't really allow one of our own to keep roaming around. And Akiza certainly was too unstable to be left alone.

"So like the good little girl she was, Amrbosine decided to try and devise a series of treatments, treatments that, of course, would've tried to return some of Akiza's sanity. Of course, that didn't work, and she became the monster you know now."

"She isn't some monster," he spat. "She's a lot more humane than you ever were."

"It wasn't that hard, to take advantage of her," she continued, brushing aside Yusei's statement. Belletrix closed her eyes, a soft smile decorating her face. "I'm sure you already know this, but even we have limits Nikolai. Every demon created by Fallen has a strict amount of years we can last; some, only a few, others for centuries. But we all have a breaking point; you, me, and Akiza have just lasted a bit longer, that's all."

"What're you saying then? I-"

"I know what you did, what _she_ ordered you to do."

He fought the urge to flinch, though Belletrix grinned smugly. "Even after all this time, your special bullets were still there, lodged inside her brain. However, seems that wasn't enough, to spare her the pain; when Amrbosine found her, she had already deteriorated so much, and she was transforming at such a rapid pace, to the point where she could barely control herself anymore. If you saw her before…you wouldn't have been able to recognize her."

That nightmarish evening bombarded Yusei. He could still see Akiza lying on the cold ground, reaching out to him desperately, if only for a bit of relief. He remembered the order, that slipped out from her lips, as well as the bullet, that resounded against his ear.

He clutched the armrest tightly, his eyes falling to the plate. His own, hardened reflection stared back up at him, while Belletrix chuckled in the background. "It was the only order you ever disobeyed. If only you'd been able to kill her, you might've spared yourself from this fate."

"How'd you know about that promise she made? To me? To herself?" He flickered his eyes toward her. "And that night? Were you there too?"

Belletrix shook her head. "All Amrbosine had to do was ask." She stood then, that woman. A trace of meat was still plastered on her lips, though she rubbed it away with her sleeve. Slowly, she went around the table, her blond strands falling to her face. Her footsteps resonated throughout the ballroom, stopping midway towards Jack. Her hand rested on the table, her fingertips lightly brushing past the empty chairs nearby.

"What'd you expect from her Nikolai? She was half-dead, by the time Amrbosine found her. She was transforming into a beast no one could begin to understand, all the while forgetting a part of herself every single day. She was turning into a monster, and a pathetic one at that. So, in hindsight you're right; under normal circumstances, I would've killed her."

"Then _why-?!"_

"But when I heard it, when I heard _your_ name, I couldn't help myself. I was already tired of living through Amrbosine. In fact, I was just about to finish her off, but that was before Akiza had finally said your name. That you were alive somewhere. That you'd been ordered to kill her, and now, you were trapped in the same nightmare that I didn't want you to see. There was absolutely no way I could just let you waste away there, in that world of yours."

It dawned on Yusei.

"…You led us here."

"I did."

"But…but how-?!"

"As I've said before, Nikolai. You were always loyal; you would've done anything you could, just to follow an order from someone you truly respected. Coupled with the fact you fell in love with her, I had no doubt that you would try seeking her out, when you realized she was still alive.

"She was more powerful than you were, than any of us were. She alone had the ability to control anyone, anything, as long as her insanity hadn't destroyed her. She was could decimate the strongest of wills, submit the mightiest of rulers; if she wanted to, she could even conquer this entire world.

"But she was weak. In the end, that same power destroyed her, despite everything she's done. She couldn't handle it, and as a result, she turned into that… _creature_ you saw that night."

He was shaking. "Stop it."

"I'm sure you've gotten some of your memories back by now."

"Shut up."

"Makes you wonder how she could think of herself as human."

The air around him instantly froze, sending burning chills toward Belletrix. Without thinking, he wrapped that power around her neck, imagining tiny bits of throat slipping from her lips. He could see her falling to the ground, gasping desperately for breath, the unsightly, miserable sight of her enough to make him almost crush her, her skull beneath his feet.

"I told you once, didn't I?"

Blood suddenly came out from his mouth. He held one hand against his lips, his eyes widening in shock.

All the while, Belletrix stood there, smirking. "You weren't one to go against someone you loved."

He coughed the blood into his hand, leaving bright, crimson stains on his glove. "W-what the _hell are you-?!"_

"And as you've already guessed, Akiza isn't exactly stable right now. She'd do anything, just to keep this peace from falling apart."

He froze.

She started walking toward him again. "Even if it is all just a lie."

Crow stood up protectively, as did Jack. They were saying something, but Yusei didn't know what. Instead, he could only sit there, unable to move, Belletrix's mental prowess keeping him down. His power was forced back towards him, slamming back into his body. He hissed in pain, taking his eyes off Belletrix for a brief moment. When he looked up, he saw her standing there, just a few feet away from him. She leaned over, and forcefully cupped his cheek. "Surely you must've already realized who trapped you here."

He couldn't move.

"Someone powerful enough to mess with your memories, as well as the memories of everyone else around you, including me."

He couldn't talk.

"A witch who can neither live, nor die, suffering an eternal hell living on this lonely, sinful world."

He couldn't _breathe._

"A king who fell in love with good and evil, right and wrong."

Akiza.

He remembered everything then.


	55. Chapter 55

Claws decimated his windpipe, slamming him down onto the ground.

Jaden instinctively grabbed her wrists, meager amounts of oxygen desperately leaving his lungs. His wide eyes reflected back her corpse, the hellish nature destroying his mind bit by bit. Though the shock still coursed through him, he could still feel himself cutting off the blood flow beneath her veins, shutting down capillaries and arteries, doing everything he could to reach her heart. His nails were jammed into her skin, endeavoring to pry them away.

An agonizing howl escaped from her lips. Without another wasted second, she dragged him against the walls, repeatedly banging his head against the surface. His vision was starting to get blurry, and when he felt his mental grip on her weaken, her grip on his neck tightened. But already, he could see Alexis racing towards them. He gritted his teeth.

Her fangs kept snapping at him, her bloodless eyes greedily drinking in his helpless form. Age-old wrinkles coated her emaciated body, her transparent skin tearing through any resemblance of the black organs within her. Her once lush, beautiful hair had been reduced to dry, thin strands of gray, her grotesquely long, yellow nails cutting through the thin membrane of his throat. Dark eyes that held so much innocence before had all but disappeared, leaving only two, black holes he couldn't even find himself in. Though remnants of her voice was still left in her throat, even now, Jaden couldn't bring himself to listen to the scratchy records.

And yet, what grabbed his attention the most, was the torn, soiled hospital gown she wore.

Along with a familiar mark, one that Yusei had wanted to be rid of for a long time.

He dragged whatever traces were left of his power, and threw her off him. Before she could regain her balance, he grabbed her shin and tossed her beneath him. He broke both her arms, her torn ligaments rendering them useless, before shifting his weight to her struggling legs. He could smell the iron escaping from him, and he closed his eyes, knowing full well Alexis was behind him, the cold, distant look still in her eyes. Mree tried snapping at him once again, her body violently contorting against his.

Jaden bit the inside of his cheek. A beloved sister, a person he would've done everything for, someone that even Belletrix looked up to; here she was now, a victim to the cruelties she tried to rule over. She was born into that world, but somehow, she refused to become as tainted as the rest, refused to lose her own heart, though she knew she could die from it. She'd given up everything just to retain it, even him, and Yusei, and Belletrix, if only for the sake of something as foolish as that.

Because in the end, she left them.

Memories of kindness and compassion, along with the smiles he couldn't help but grow fond of, the games they've played, laughs they've shared during their time in Fallen…

…were completely, and utterly worthless now.

In that split second, he found Alexis's heel piercing Mree's skull. Almost immediately, the creature screamed again, the piercing sound reverberating through the hallway. Her claws were pathetically scratching the ground in utter humiliation. She kept writhing back and forth, back and forth, doing whatever she could to try and get out of Alexis's grip.

Jaden stared at her, for the longest time.

Then, without hesitation, he drove his hand through her visible rib cage. He could feel the sharp tips brushing through his palm. It kept scarring him, for some odd reason, but he continued, puncturing her lungs, weaving through the veins and arteries and the like. And finally, he felt the fragile thumps of her sick, weakly heart. He found himself smirking. "You really are kind, aren't you?"

With one, fluid move, he ripped the same heart out from her, and crushed it.

* * *

Akiza stumbled forward, her hands desperately clinging to the table cloth. Shallow breathing suffocated her chest, as she tried looking at the man ahead of her, the creature known as Belial. He had a tiny smirk on his face, though cool, callous eyes depicted his own, self-worthlessness. Strands of raven hair fell towards those eyes, as he stepped forth, the very instance of relief now slipping away from the atmosphere. It wasn't long before she could feel herself steady. She heard him laugh lightly. "My, what a mess you've made in here."

She clutched the cloth. "I've…I've seen worse."

"I'm sure you have." His eyes fell to Sarah's body. He glared at it for a single moment, before stepping on it, his bloody footprints marking the floors. "Of course, this can't even begin to compare to all the pain and suffering _you've_ caused."

Slowly, she straightened herself, unfamiliar emotions bombarding her at the seams. No, she didn't care who he was, what he was doing here. The old, recognizable ring to his name, as well as his face, the smooth, charismatic way he talked, with an edge of manipulation wrapped around his tone…

Yusei.

They were alike, in that way.

Belial sighed then. "I'd know that look anywhere. It's the same look you give anyone, when you're about to kill them."

"I don't need a lesson about manners from you."

"Now, now, settle down." Belial closed his eyes, taking in the scents of chaos and violence, before opening them again. "But seriously, I warned milady about this happening. And yet, for some reason, she still chose to end her little experiment. If you kept wallowing in your own self-pity, I'm sure you would've gotten more out of this."

Her vision began blurring, though she managed to catch herself.

An experiment.

Wallowing in self-pity.

"And yet," Belial continued, "you couldn't bear not knowing the truth."

"What are you…? Experiments?"

He nodded, as he strolled towards her, his shoulders relaxing at the seams. "She wasn't joking. You really don't remember anything, do you?"

She clenched her teeth. The more she looked at him, the more tense she got. She couldn't help but scowl darkly at him, her nails almost piercing through the white table cloth. The words were lodged in her throat; she couldn't say anything, other than struggle against her own, mental burdens. Finally, it came back to her.

"You mean Belletrix, don't you?"

"That's right." He said carefully, placing his hands flat against the table. He leaned toward her, and smiled, not even bothering to hide the malice in his expression. "You see, Belletrix needed _you_ , for some odd reason. Apparently, you were the key to the Black Rose's downfall."

Black Rose.

That's right.

Yusei was…

He was…

"How's it feel?" she heard him say from a far-off distance. Tendrils of shadows kept peeking out at her, the vague lines separating the silhouette in front of her. "When you saw him there, with Belletrix, the very instance of his death…"

Death.

"…your own fault…"

Dying.

She was _dying._

And suddenly, she was forced to the ground.

A sickening crack resounded against her eardrums. She visibly winced at the searing pain erupting from behind her. Her bangs flew wildly around her. Before she knew it, she looked up, and saw Belial, just a mere foot away from her.

"But you know what?" he growled, grabbing a fistful of hair and hoisting her up. She fought down a painful howl, his rancid breath washing over her. "You've had your fun. I think it's time you sleep for a while, wouldn't you agree?"

Sleeping.

She'd be sleeping.

Sleeping while the world around her continued on, as it always had; while everyone would leave her, her very existence forgotten by the people she once so dearly cherished; while new stories abound, plots in which she would have no part of.

Like a withered rose, long after its prime.

Or an amaryllis, just sitting in a lonely vase.

She clenched her fists. "Screw that."

* * *

 _"…_ _kolai."_

 _"_ _Nikolai."_

 _Yusei opened his eyes._

 _Something heavy weighed against his wrist, his ankles, and when he moved them, the shackles resounded against his skin. He stole a look around him, the shadows messily dancing to the metallic sounds nearby. Darkness shrouded him mercilessly, as he endeavored seeing through the black, only to find himself disappointed every time. He suddenly lurched forward, a throbbing easing its way into his mind. He winced, forcing down the urge to throw up._

 _Quiet groans etched themselves throughout the room. He could feel his vision blur, could feel the vertigo entwining with his pristine, blue eyes. But still, he endeavored to catch a glimpse of those shadows, trying to gage where he was, trying to remember what he was doing there, when he couldn't help but sense a familiar presence nearing him._

 _"_ _Belletrix," he growled._

 _The woman cocked her head. She stood, a mere few feet away from him, her arms crossed over her chest. She wore a plain, black dress, the hem of the skirt roughly swaying along the dust upon the floor. She held an egotistical smile on her face, her lips curled up in that sinister way of hers. He tensed when she came near, the same, intimidating aura surrounding her frame. "Been a while, hasn't it?"_

 _"_ _What the hell are you doing here? Didn't Akiza-?"_

 _"_ _Now that's what they'd call a lie now, isn't it?" She paused for a brief moment, an unreadable thought passing through her face. Before long, her arms came to her side. "Even without that bitch, you're still giving me a hard time."_

 _He clenched his fists. "Where are the others? What've you done with them?"_

 _"_ _Still need to work on that impatience."_

 _"_ _Enough games Belletrix," he snapped, causing her to fall silent. "The fact that you went as far as to capture the nobles…means you want something from me. If it's about that little prank we pulled-"_

 _"_ _I can assure you, that Clovers girl had nothing to do with anything. I'm actually happy you killed her that time."_

 _"_ _Then what is it?" he asked darkly. "You haven't killed us yet, so I'm sure you must want something."_

Belletrix was already a few feet away from him, her light footsteps resounding to the dirges of the feast.

His fingers automatically flying to his forehead. Something sticky coated his temples, and from the corner of his eyes, dark, crimson streams nestled against his skull. From the looks both Jack and Crow were giving him, it seems Belletrix had already made her move.

"When Akiza came to Amrbosine that day, it was already checkmate," she stated quietly. "She spilled everything to us, and, inevitably, I caught on. After that, I decided to set up a little experiment. I wanted to see how far you'd go, if you heard that she was alive. You were her Queen after all, and despite everything she's done to you, you wouldn't leave her side. I wanted to test that loyalty. I wanted to see if you really were truly devoted to her."

"Because if I wasn't, I'd lose too," he finished easily.

Belletrix nodded. "In Fallen, everyone has a certain degree of insanity. It determines how far we'd go, how reliable our morality is, how strong we are against the others; whether we're aware of it or not, however, is entirely up to us. We lose ourselves to this power when we fight, when we judge others based on the crimes we've committed, when we kill others like us; we relied on this power for so long, that it's become apart of us. The insanity that flows through our veins is as natural as the blood flowing through your friends' veins. Not even your beloved was able to break that rule; in fact, it was what allowed us to control her so easily.

"So you could imagine my surprise, when I realized that you, of all people, managed to break away from it."

He narrowed his eyes. "What of it?"

"You relied on her stupid promise, so much so it made me sick. I figured that if I could interfere, if I could show you that she isn't as wonderful as she seemed, that not even she could keep up with a promise like that, you'd betray her." She smirked painfully. "I still can't believe; even after she called you a "monster" you refused to leave her side. You still trust her, no matter how much of an idiot she's made of herself."

She closed her eyes then. "She told you that you were human. And as you know, humans are precarious things; they rely on their own existence, and never once are they satisfied. Insatiable things; though they might play the part of the good samaritan, in the end they're the same as every other monster they've imagined. I'm sure you're aware of that little aspect."

"Just stop."

"Nikolai-"

Yusei stood, the familiar presence of his own power wrapping delicately around him. Both Jack and Crow's reflections stared at him, the very essence of darkness hiding them from the feast. He examined the table for a while, before coming back to Belletrix, who eyed him suspiciously. "You wanted something from us. You used the Clovers as bait the last time, and you're doing the same thing with Akiza. If it's information you want, we've already destroyed all of it. I doubt either Jaden or Alexis would remember anything from Fallen."

Her eyes fell to his mark.

Yusei followed her gaze then, a disgusted frown plastered on his lips. "You used these marks to track us down, didn't you? You probably put these marks on the rest of the Signers too, just to keep tabs on us."

Belletrix smiled saccharinely. "Your beloved was rather fond of the supporting characters. This was her dream after all; I just played it to my advantage." She closed her eyes. "Your sweetheart told me something interesting, aside from being human of course."

"Oh?"

Belletrix nodded. "She said she enjoyed reading. She especially liked the stories she made up for your coven. In a way, I was only trying to help her live out her fantasy one more time."

"And what'd you mean by that?" Yusei demanded, taking a threatening step toward her.

She looked away.

His eyes widened.

"You're gonna USE AKIZA, AREN'T YOU?!"


	56. Chapter 56

In this world, there are two kinds of people; the ones who live in the light, and the ones abandoned by darkness.

Those in darkness feel like they have little left in this world for them. They go on and on about finding redemption somewhere, feeling safe, all the while endeavoring to stand up against the torture they've put themselves through. They keep talking about how they're going to end their lives, not even bothering to realize that what they really need was attention. And when they resurface from the "brink", when they've finally managed to mature, just a tiny bit, they don't even see that they themselves have fallen to the depths of society they so happily detested. Corrupt politicians, avaricious doctors, disloyal spouses; they keep believing that they're in the dark, never once comprehending the fact that everything they did, everything they strove for, was completely meaningless.

The light, however, is another evil altogether. Filled with people doused in tainted light, they go on in their innocence, believing that everything is right with the world. They believe they have everything to live for, carrying on as if nothing was wrong, acting like judges for what they thought was good, and evil, with little to no grey in between, with the exception that it serve their own needs. They believe they can disregard the rules of their own natures, and justify their reasoning. They feed into the dark through their self-pity, their empathetic disguise little more than a shell, just waiting for someone to rip away at their facades. It's funny really.

Take Fallen, for example. They attempted to rationalize their actions through the use of their pride; never once did it struck them what they were doing was wrong. They sentenced the weaklings, made the strong stronger, and through that, the first demons were made.

But of course, if Fallen is light, then I believe the covens are the dark, wallowing in their pitiful heartbreak and melancholy. Yes, in a way they did justify what they were doing, and yes, many have died before them. But all the same, they cling to each other, the weak, the strong, doing everything they could to try and remove their sins from existence. The kings and queens are haughty, but only because they need to be; if they try anything else, the covens can and will eliminate them.

It's a very twisted world. People keep saying there are exceptions, that nothing is impossible. However, after all I've lived through, and everything I've seen, I haven't the pleasure of meeting anyone like that, or being in those situations. If anything, my life served to justify my reasoning. To say that I'm disappointed in my little brother is a bit of an understatement.

He's right. I did want to use Amaryllis. She was Fallen's first demon, but she was also the key to getting the immortality humanity had been seeking after. She's the one who first started this story; I only want her to continue it. It was such an alluring tale, after all, with new avenues of opportunities just waiting for me. A revival in the deepest parts of the human heart, along with the sanctity that came with creating these monsters; not even Christoph would dare oppose me, or any of the other covens, for that matter.

His enraged roar bombards my ears. The tendrils of his shadow grazes my cheek, as I move to the right. I could feel his mental prowess endeavoring to break every bone in my body, his own demons scratching at my flesh. My blood cascades to the ground, the very scent of it enticing the darkness around me. When I look up, I see crystallite orbs, following my movements with relative ease.

I only smirk. I dodge his shadows and wrap my fingers around the tendrils. I yank them away, before flying toward him, claws outstretched. I smile in anticipation, the adrenaline coursing through my veins, only for those very shadows to force me away, my back slamming against the feast. I grunt painfully, before jumping out of the way.

"…What's wrong?" I manage. "I thought you wanted to see her again…"

"JUST SHUT UP!"

A barrage of crimson flew across my vision. Something sharp…in my abdomen, I think. I look down, and find a single, sharp knife, just above my navel. I smile, as I rip out the silver thing, my arm easily flying to my side. I take a deep breath, my shields immediately flying up around me. Nikolai was forced back, landing on the ground with a hard thud. "You followed _her_ orders though, didn't you?"

His shadows instantly screech, attacking the shields with all their fury. I crossed my arms in front of my chest, my feral orbs taking in the insanity surrounding me. "You played your part as her Queen. You followed her, and kept her alive, no matter what the cost.

"Yes, even when she ran away, even when she tried destroying herself, right before your eyes, even when she broke her promise to you, even now, when she's no longer here, when she's run away from everyone and everything, you'll follow her. To the depths of hell, if need be."

His shadows intensified.

I cock my head. "Why are you acting like this? I would've thought you'd be ecstatic."

"…Ecstatic?"

A crack.

And before I knew it, I was on the ground.

Blood spilled from my lips. My hand flung to my mouth, my eyes widening at the seams. I felt something tearing inside me, but I couldn't see it. I tried twisting my head, though my knees gave way to my weight. I could feel myself falling, feeling heavier and heavier, until finally, I collapsed.

I couldn't move.

I could hear the echo of his footsteps resound through my eardrums. The tip of his combat boots touch my fingers.

When I look up, I see a smile. A smile I've never seen before.

"I'm humiliated, sister dearest."

And just like that, everything goes black.

* * *

Her bangs swept past her face, as she raced to Belial. Akiza could feel her own power drawing near, whispering to her where to attack, where he may defend. He raised his arms, a faint grimace on his face, before she smirked. She took a deep breath, and dove her arm through his own. Without another wasted moment, she curled her fingers around his wrist and tore it away.

She could feel the bones coming undone. That hand falls messily to the floor, tiny splatters of blood falling upon the lines of her dress. Before he could react, she took his head in one hand and bashed it against the table. In a split second, she called upon her own shadows, and beheaded him.

Yes, she remembered him now.

Belial, a man who would do whatever it took to prove his worth, he was desperate to live up to Fallen's incredibly high standards. Even after the torture they've put him through, the harsh training regiments Akiza personally oversaw, he was here, ready to do their bidding. He didn't have an ounce of realization of what the real world was like, the separation between fact and fiction so blurred in his eyes. It was as if he only existed for merely one function, and that was to please whomever commanded his desperation. She knew, because when she escaped, she once asked him to join her, to give him a chance to live another life, one without sorrow, or hesitation.

He refused.

And tried to kill her after that.

Slowly, she allowed his body to fall. He wasn't controlled by fear, like so many of the other test subjects. Nor was the situation that traumatizing for him, as it had been for both Jaden and Alexis. He didn't want to forget the hell Fallen showered upon him, didn't want to forget the rare, pitiful smiles the scientists once splayed for him. Emotions that had once captivated the world seemed to abandon him completely.

She looked up at the high cielings. Jaden and Alexis were somewhere in the building. Seems they've heard the commotion in the dining room, and were making their way there. Jack and Crow were with Angela, or rather, Belletrix, right now, still in shock after what'd happened. The rest of the covens were getting ready to attack, no longer able to stomach the pathetic rule Fallen had subjected them under. Both Belial and Sarah were dead. All that's left now is to rid the city of the organization's influence.

She couldn't help but smirk then. "I'm impressed. To think that you'd come this far, as the Black Rose."

She turned back, and see Yusei there, with a silver gun in hand.


	57. Chapter 57

"You probably won't forgive me for this."

* * *

 _The WRGP was coming up soon._

Dark, raven bangs fell across his obsidian eyes. His hands came up, and traced the soft, crimson rose petals, all the while warily eyeing the sharp gleam of the thorns nearby. How he managed to avoid them, he had no clue. Still, he could feel a tiny smile graze his lips, as he leaned over. There were a few more, though with autumn fast approaching, he didn't think the tiny buds would make it. A sad end, but there was nothing he could do about it.

From a distance, Yusei could hear the others laughing. Soft, melodic voices trickled down within the gardens as he continued his way. It wasn't long before he heard panic entwined in those voices, followed by a resounding crash that left everyone speechless. He could practically feel the awkwardness as they all scrambled, trying to come up with a way to hide the mess they've caused. A broken flowerpot? A shattered plate? No, you can't hide it over there; he'd probably know.

He felt himself smile amusingly, before moving onto the next rosebush. It was so long, since he walked here, in these gardens. Though he's taken care of them long before, he felt a bit nostalgic whenever he saw the flowers.

 _Hey._

Slowly, he turned, and saw her, with a simplistic smile on her face.

Automatically, he returned her smile. "When did you get here?" he asked pleasantly.

 _A few minutes ago. They're pretty loud,"_ she added mischievously, as she came to his side. They started walking down the garden, the same, red roses gazing back up at them. _You can't even hear the music._

Music?

That's right, there was a party, somewhere in the gardens. It was the twins' birthday, and the Signers were celebrating it. Leo had reminded them plenty of times; he even passed out all the invitations, to his classmates, to all the Signers, possibly to even half the city block. No one could resist coming of course, and as such, Akiza decided to allow them to use her garden for their exploits. They were all careful not to litter, of course, but still, Yusei felt a bit bothered by how many people there were, and the garden wasn't even his.

 _Jack was trying to hold something down._

Yusei swayed a little to the rhythmic beats. "Did they break something?"

She laughed. _Yeah, a flowerpot. Funny; I was there, but they made more of a big deal about you than me. This is my garden too, isn't it?_

"Yeah, but I'm the one who always takes care of it," he teased. "You're the Black Rose; take care of your own flowers for a change."

He could feel her eyes boring his back, and though she was silent, he knew she was shrugging her shoulders. _You've got a green thumb._

"So?"

 _You're also a really good gardener, so I have an excuse._

He laughed. "You always say you're doing your homework, but every time I see you, you're either sleeping or watching Netflix.

 _The others were still at school._

For a while, they walked in silence. Streams of crimson kept appearing in Yusei's vision, their swaying petals bringing yet another refreshing wind against him. He admired his work; after hours of dealing with the thorns and vines, hours of yanking weeds from the soil, hours of watering and watching and building that stupid, silver fence, just to try and keep the animals out, he admitted that the view was worth it.

* * *

"But I really did love you."

* * *

 _Hey, Yusei._

"Hmm?"

 _You only ever planted roses here, didn't you?_

He blinked. "They were all that I could afford."

 _But look at that one, in the distance._

Yusei narrowed his eyes. Carefully, he followed her gaze. It wasn't long before he saw the strange flowers. He cocked his head. "Huh."

 _Aren't those amaryllises?_

"Yeah." He scratched the back of his head, asking himself how the flowers even got there. Still, they were incredibly nice to look at. They also reminded him of something, though he didn't know what. "I guess the wind must've blown some seeds over here or something. I don't remember planting them."

She chuckled. _But you're the gardner, aren't you? No one plants a bulb that big by mistake._

He raised a curious eyebrow. "Why? Don't you like it?"

 _I don't really know. It's awfully out of place in a garden like this._

"It's boring though, if there are only roses in the garden."

* * *

"You might hate me afterwards. You might hate me forever, even."

* * *

The two lapsed in silence. Yusei simply stood there beside her, as he watched the tiny bulb swaying to the evening wind. Yes, now that he did think about it, the flower did seem incredibly familiar. Perhaps he'd seen it before somewhere, probably when the florist was about to throw it out. Maybe he saw it lying alone in an abandoned street; he'd seen a lot of flowers uprooted lately, what with all the construction that's been going on.

And then he paused, for a single, brief moment.

* * *

"But I made you a promise, and I intend to keep it."

* * *

"Yusei," Akiza suddenly called.

Shocked, Yusei turned back to her. The same, golden eyes stared at him with an even intensity, the same intensity she had when he first laid eyes on her. She wasn't as cold as before, and yet, for some reason, he could still feel an odd coldness from her. Her red, feral hair had loosely been held on the crown of her head, the Victorian outfit she donned contrasting sharply to her pale, creamy skin. There was a slight frown on her face, one that conveyed to him all her uneasy, unreadable thoughts. Quietly, he turned to her. "What is it?" he heard himself ask.

"What'd you think, about amaryllises?"

It took him a while to say…anything. "Where's this coming from?"

She stared at him for the longest time. An eternity seemed to pass by him, as he gazed at his own, dark reflection through her eyes. There were shadows beneath, it seemed. Shadows that he knew had been there for a forever ago.

He saw her.

His breath quickened.

He could feel himself backing away.

* * *

"My demonic rose, whose last petals have already wilted, I'm ordering you…"

* * *

At that moment, he felt her hand on his.

Carefully, she led him back to her, with the same, odd smile he saw her wear, earlier in the day. "Forget it," she said simply. "I shouldn't have messed with you like that."

He blinked. "It's…it's fine."

"But seriously though," she continued, as she turned back to that tiny amaryllis bulb. "To think that something like this is still here, in a field of roses."

He smiled shakily at her.

There was laughter, in the air.

Someone had broken a flowerpot.

And the music…

"Yusei?"

"It's a broken record," he said aimlessly.

Akiza's lips parted. She was about to say something, when she stopped herself. All the genuinely in her smile had simply vanished, from the moment she walked toward him. Her grip on his hand tightened. "Then we'd better go back. Knowing Jack, he's probably already destroyed the player."

"…And Crow?"

"Trying to stop him," she reassured, drawing him toward her. "I can hear the twins too. They're calling for us."

"…R-right."

And with that, he squeezed her hand back. He allowed her to lead him back to the evening. He looked over his shoulder, and saw the amaryllis. Then, in that same moment, he turned back, and followed the Black Rose out of the gardens.


	58. Author's Note

Hello, I am the Seelie Court Jester.

Thank you all so much for following _Mirror._ To be perfectly honest, the idea had been floating in my mind for a few years now, but I didn't have much time to write it down. But now it's here, and I'm grateful for your patience.

-Yusei's last name, _Alteo_ , as well as Akiza's first name, _Amaryllis,_ had come from an old Greek legend I stumbled across. The story starts with a young girl who was in love with a shepherd named Alteo. He was sought after by all the maidens in his village, but he stated that he would only give his love to the girl who presented to him with the most beautiful flower (I believe he was an exceptional gardener). And so, the poor girl had been advised by some deity to allow her blood to fall upon one of the flowers. She bled each night, and so, when it was finally ready, she brought the flower to the shepherd. He loved it so much that he fell in love with the girl at that moment. The flower was given the name, Amaryllis.

-Spider-llilles belong in the amaryllis family. Since the flower became beautiful, just through blood and love alone, and because of the symbolism the spider-lily carried, I figured it'd be appropriate for a story like this.

-I enjoy playing chess. It's because of that love that you find all kinds of chess references here, from Kings, to Queens, to Rooks and Bishops. To be perfectly honest, in the ranks of the Black Rose coven, Akiza would be King, Yusei would be Queen, Jaden would be the Rook, and Alexis would be the Bishop.

-Thank you again for following this story, as well as _Fragments._


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